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2002 Supreme(Del) 873

High Court Of Delhi
PRAKASH P.HINDUJA - Appellant
Versus
UNION OF INDIA - Respondent
Decided On : 06/10/2002

Headnote:Constitution of India, 1950 - Articles 142, 141 r/w 32 — Power — Effect of law by virtue of Article 141 and is mandate to all the authorities to act in

       aid of the orders made by- it as provided under Article 144 of Constitution — Directions issued are for strict compliance and must operate till such time as they are replaced by suitable legislation — Directions given in para 58 of the Judgment in Vineet Narains case are law — No ambiguity in the language — Requires CVC to be responsible for effective functioning of the CBI — CBI on its own showing has not placed before the CVC the result of its investigation and bye — passed it by filing a charge — sheet before the Ld. Special Judge — Who ought not to have to entertained the charge sheet in violation of the directions — Cognizance quashed.

       Delhi Police Special Establishment Act, 1946 - Section 4 — Quashing of cognizance — Directions issued are for strict compliance and must operate till such time as they are replaced by suitable legislation — Directions given in para 58 of the Judgment in Vineet Narains case are law — No ambiguity in the language — Requires CVC to be responsible for effective functioning of the CBI — CBI on its own showing has not placed before the CVC the result of its investigation and bye — passed it by filing a charge — sheet before the Ld. Special Judge — Who ought to have to entertained the charge sheet in violation of the directions — Cognizance quashed.

       Held :

       The duty to report of the steps taken in the course of investigation is not and cannot be equated with the duty to obtain prior approval or consent of any other authority to these steps. The reporting is to enable the authority to review the working of the agencies — it is very different from ensuring that each and every investigation is carried what would in the perception of that authority be a reasonable and fair method. In other words, unlike a sanction (which is on a case by case basis, which focuses on the merits of each case) the review of the working of an agency is to take stock of the efficiency and independence of the agency — which was the primary major consideration which prevailed with the Court in issuing the direction in question. The directions in paragraph 3 were modification of the manner of exercise of the power of superintendence contained in Section 4 of Delhi Police Special Establishment Act, 1946 so as to imbue it with "visible objectivity" the mechanism of superintendence. It was not the creation of a new power, which did not exist in the statute earlier. It is clear by reading direction No. 3 with paragraph 28 that what was hitherto before the power of the Government and the responsibility of the CVC in the manner indicated in paragraph 3 of the directions. This division being made in accordance with the recommendations of the IRC, thereforee the submission that there is need of approval of CVC at every stage, is misconceived.

R. S. SODHI

( 1 ). This is a petition by the petitioner who is one of the accused in Criminal Case No. 39/99 pending in the court of the learned Special Judge, Patiala House, New Delhi. The prayers of the petitioner are three fold, namely, (a) that the order dated 18. 4. 2002 of the learned Special Judge on the application dated 15. 4. 2002 be set aside; (b) cognizance taken and process issued pusuant thereto be revoked and (c) charge-sheet filed be rejected.

( 2 ). Extensive arguments were addressed by learned counsel for both the sides. Both the sides relied upon and sought to interpret the Judgment of the Supreme Court in Vineet Narain and others vs. Union of India and another. 1988 (1) SCC 226. The petitioner has called for strict compliance of paragraph 58 of this judgment laying special stress on sub-para 3. He contended that the Central Bureau of Investigation (for short c8i ) after completing its investigation was bound to place the report before the Central Vigilance Commission (for short cvc ) and having not done so, such charge-sheet cannot be acted upon by the court. On the other hand, learned counsel for the respondent contended that the responsibility entrusted to the CVC in para 58 sub para 3 of the judgment of superintendence over the CBI s functioning is not of the nature as is sought to be contended by the petitioner, but of a general nature equivalent to that as is with the government/ministers in Section 4 of Delhi Police Special establishment Act, 1946 (for short "dpse Act ). Before adverting to analyse the submissions of learned counsel, a brief background may be necessary. The Government of India in March, 1986 purchased from A. B. Bofors, a Swiss Company, 155 mm. guns at a price approximately rupees 1437 crores. In the following year, a report emerged that the deal was vitiated due to corruption and bribes passed on to responsible public servants including the late Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi. Wide publicity was given which necessitated setting up of a prestigious Joint parliamentary Committee appointed by the Parliament. This committee went into the allegations elaborately and submitted its report on 26. 4. 1988. It reported to the nation that (a) no corruption was involved in the deal; (b) that no money had been paid to any Indian agent; (c) that the guns were the best possible and the price paid was lowest. It appears that on change of Government an FIR was recorded on 22. 1. 1990 by the CBI. Massive/extensive investigation was conducted both in India and abroad resulting in a charge-sheet dated 22. 10. 1999 placed before the court. In this charge-sheet, the petitioner was not an accused. The CBI claimed that the charge-sheet was incomplete and further investigations were in progress. Merely a year later, a second supplementary charge-sheet dated 9. 10. 2000 was filed. This has been challenged by learned counsel for the petitioner contending dishonesty, malice, without material on record and in violation of law laid down by the Supreme Court in vineet Narain s case. The accused persons appeared before the court of the learned Special Judge and prayed that cognizance be not taken on the grounds, inter alia, that the filing of supplementary charge-sheet violated the Supreme Court s directions. The learned Special Judge rejected the prayer on the ground that an accused had no right to be heard at that stage. After summons were served on the accused, he executed bail bonds as was required of him. The matter had thus reached a stage before the Learned Special Judge for supply of documents which are relevant and essential to the issue of framing of charge.

( 3 ). The petitioner herein filed an application dated 15. 4. 2002 drawing attention of the court to the judgment of the supreme Court in Vineet Narain s case. It is the case of the petitioner that these directions were issued to prevent escape of the guilty and harassment of the innocent. The gravamen of the contention of the petitioner was tha




























































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