Sex CD case: Probe report okayed by SIT chief, HC told

Senior counsel appearing for the victim argued that the petition filed by her challenges the constitution of the SIT

The High Court on Tuesday said that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the ‘sex for job’ case, involving former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, can move necessary application seeking leave of the court to file a final report of the investigation.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi said this after it was informed that the head of SIT, additional commissioner of police Soumendhu Mukherjee, has approved the investigation conducted in his absence.

While extending the interim order restraining submission of the final report, the court had directed that the report by the investigating officer be placed before Mukherjee for appropriate orders.

The report submitted by the investigating officer was not signed by Mukherjee since he was on medical leave for two months. P Prasanna Kumar, special public prosecutor for SIT, submitted that the report of the investigating officer has been approved by the head of the SIT. He sought the leave of the court to file the final report before the magistrate.

Senior counsel Indira Jasing, appearing for the victim woman, argued that the petition filed by her challenges the constitution of the SIT.

She said the investigation report doesn’t conform to the criminal procedure code. Indira submitted that the SIT was constituted based on the letter addressed by the then home minister to the commissioner of police, Bengaluru city.

“It is to be noted that this court, vide order dated July 27, 2021, had restrained any investigation report to be submitted before the competent court without the leave of this court. In case the respondent investigating agency (SIT) wants the report to be placed before the competent court, then let an application in this regard be filed,” the bench said.