Calcutta HC snubs CBI over protocol lapses in submitting progress report in case at Division Bench

Kolkata: Calcutta High Court’s Chief Justice, Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge, on Wednesday, snubbed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for protocol lapses on its part in submitting the progress report in an investigation to a Division Bench of the court.

On Wednesday, the CBI submitted a progress report on an investigation by the agency on financial irregularities in illegal real estate constructions in different pockets in West Bengal at the Division Bench of Chief Justice Ghuge and Justice Om Narayan Rai.

However, Chief Justice Ghuge took exception as the central agency counsel just served one copy of the progress report at the court in the matter. Chief Justice Ghuge even questioned whether the CBI was not aware that a Division Bench of any high court is comprised of two judges.

He also observed that such lack of awareness was unacceptable from an investigative agency of the CBI’s repute.

Thereafter, the Division Bench refused to accept the report submitted by the CBI and directed the central agency to submit the required documents and sufficient copies as per the rules and protocol.

The Division Bench also made it clear that the report should be submitted in a proper manner in accordance with the court's administrative protocol.

The next hearing in the matter has been fixed for December this year and the Division Bench strictly ordered the submission of a detailed and final report in accordance with all the rules at that time.

After this reprimand from the court, new questions are being raised about the professionalism of the investigating agency and the negligence in conducting the legal process.

To recall, in September this year, the Division Bench of the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court gave the CBI the charge of investigating the allegations of more than 50 illegal multi-storey buildings in Rajabazar, Beleghata, Maniktala and Canal East Road areas.

As per the court's order, CBI officials had been collecting information about these illegal buildings and legal documents of flats in these areas. The CBI has also summoned all the documents of 42 identified illegal buildings from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

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