Centre seeks time to file counters in mining scam PILs

Seeking the time relief from a bench of Chief Justice V Gopalagowda and Justice Indrajit Mohanty, government counsel Shaktidhar Behera said the time was required to submit a detailed counter to the two PILs listed for hearing on the day.

At least seven PILs have been filed in the High Court seeking for a direction to CBI to probe into the scam. While four of these PILs have been taken up by the High Court, three others have not been listed yet. The Centre had already responded to two of the adjudicated PILs.

The PILs had been filed by advocates Pratap Rout and Rini Rath, social activists Subrat Tripathy and Bhabani Parija and a former army official S K Mukhi.

Responding to the notices of one of the PILs, the Centre in December last year had told the HC that it was prepared to extend all necessary cooperation to CBI if the investigating agency was entrusted to probe into the scam.