SC rejects plea against CBI probe in Yadav Singh case

The Supreme Court on Friday junked a plea by the Uttar Pradesh government that ordering CBI probe into corruption charges of former Noida chief engineer Yadav Singh could destablise it.

A three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice H L Dattu told senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the UP government that the state should rather be happy about it.

“We sincerely feel that the case requires investigation by the CBI. Let the CBI investigate the matter. Why should state government be bothered about it,” the bench, also comprising Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy, said.

The court dismissed a petition by the state government challenging a July 16 Allahabad HC order directing the CBI investigation into the case relating to Yadav Singh. The HC order had come on a PIL filed by Nutan Thakur, social activist and wife of IPS officer Amitabh Thakur, who alleged to have received a threat from Mulayam Singh 

Sibal contended that any independent agency other than the CBI could be entrusted to the probe. He claimed that the PIL petitioner was hand in glove with others who wanted CBI investigation.

He further contended that the transfer to the CBI came on a recommendation by the Special Investigation Team on black money constituted by the Supreme Court.

“What does this case of a single individual have to do with the SIT on black money? If that is the case, then the SIT on black money should take up all the investigations in India. Why just confine to this one,” he said.

The court, however, reminded Sibal that while appearing for Congress leader Digvijay Singh in Vyapam matter, he had imposed full trust in the CBI probe, prompting it to pass an order in this regard.

The counsel then pointed out that the state government had already appointed a one-man judicial commission for inquiry. He urged the court to allow a special investigation team to investigate the case.

The bench, however, told him let the individual concerned (Yadav Singh) approach the court if he was aggrieved with the CBI probe. The court allowed the state government to approach the HC for monitoring of the case.

Among others, Singh, suspended last year, was accused of floating several companies to make illegal money.