Court rejects ex-IG’s plea against CBI probe

Confirming the transfer of investigation to the central agency, Justice CV Karthikeyan noted the single judge’s observation that the State police failed to arrest the accused persons, who are the directors of a finance company that is allegedly involved in cheating.

As per the 2009 case, Pazee Forex Trading India collected Rs 100 crore from the public on the promise of high interest, but failed to repay. Following this, depositors filed a complaint against the company directors – Mohan Raj, Kathiravan and Kamalavalli Arumugam.

Kamalavalli alleged that she was threatened by two inspectors into paying Rs 2.95 crore to let her off. When the case was transferred to CB-CID, the agency found that former IG Pramod Kumar had instructed the officials to collect the bribe. Meanwhile, the High Court ordered CBI probe following a petition from one of the victims. But based on Kumar’s appeal, the Supreme Court directed afresh adjudication after giving him an opportunity to be heard.

The officer submitted that any investigation without prior approval of the central government was a violation under Section 6A of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act. However, Justice Karthikeyan rejected it noting that the CB-CID had also submitted materials against the officer.

“When the single judge was hearing the matter, CB-CID Vellore had already pointed its needle of suspicion against [him]. Therefore, the CBI cannot be charged with prejudice. They did not pick and choose the writ petitioner from thin air and arrayed him as an accused. CB-CID already had gathered materials against him. CBI consolidated those materials and gathered further materials and filed the final report. I would also readily state that if CBI had not been investigated, CB-CID Vellore would also have drawn the same conclusion,” the judge noted.