Conspiracy to frame CJI: Justice Patnaik calls for more info from CBI, IB and Delhi Police
New Delhi: Former Supreme Court judge A K Patnaik Monday said he has called for some more information from the intelligence agencies - CBI, IB - and Delhi Police to find the truth behind the allegations of "larger conspiracy" to frame the Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi.
Justice Patnaik was appointed by the Supreme Court to hold an inquiry into the sensational allegations including the fixing of benches after a lawyer claimed that a larger conspiracy was at work in the apex court.
Utsav Singh Bains had made the allegations when the apex court was hearing the sexual harassment charges against the CJI in which the three-member in-house inquiry committee did not find any substance.
When contacted, Justice Patnaik told PTI over phone from Cuttack, Odisha, that the inquiry will take some more time as he has to peruse more documents to find out the truth.
While ruling out the possibility of submitting the report by July, the retired apex court judge said he has gone through the documents already supplied to him but to find clues he needs more documents.
Justice Patnaik said he is on vacation at his home town and will recommence the work of inquiry on coming back to Delhi in July.
"I will have to call for some more material from all the three -- CBI, IB and Delhi Police Commissioner -- as after going through the material received by them, I think some more material is required.
"I have to find out what clues I am getting. whether there is any confirmation about it or not. If there is no confirmation then I will have to take a different view. If more material is coming in, I will have to pursue it (the matter)."
However, he refused to make any comment on the prima-facie view he holds about the allegations. "I have called for some material from the CBI, IB and the Commissioner of Police, Delhi. They have sent the materials and I have gone through them."
"I can't disclose everything to media. I am supposed to submit the report in a sealed cover. If I start disclosing everything, all the witnesses will be removed," he said.
"We have to find the truth. Unless I find out what is the truth, I can't give the report. The report will take some time," he said, adding that there was a need for giving more time to complete the task and no time frame can be given for it.
While appointing Justice Patnaik on April 25 to hold an inquiry into the allegations of Bains, the apex court had made it clear that the probe by him shall not be with respect to the "alleged misbehaviour" involving the CJI.
The top court had said that outcome of inquiry by Justice Patnaik "shall not affect the in-house procedure/ inquiry which was pending in the administrative side".
An in-house inquiry committee comprising senior most judge Justice S A Bobde and two women judges of the apex court -- Justices Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee -- on May 6, gave clean chit to the CJI on the allegations of sexual harassment levelled by the former woman employee of the Supreme Court.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Telangana CM urges Amit Shah to increase sanctioned strength of IPS officers in state
Hyderabad (PTI): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Wednesday night and urged him to increase the sanctioned strength of IPS officers to the state in view of its growing administrative and security needs.
The two leaders also discussed the recent surrender of several senior Maoist leaders before the Telangana Police and other issues.
"During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the issue of Maoist surrenders and their rehabilitation. The chief minister informed Shah that significant improvements in policing have taken place in Telangana over the past two years," an official release here said.
Highlighting that 591 Maoists have laid down their arms and joined the mainstream of society during this period, the chief minister said the state government was providing them compensation and rehabilitation assistance as per the rules.
He requested the Union home minister to extend financial support from the central government for development works in the backward regions of the state.
Reddy also urged Shah to increase the sanctioned strength of IPS officers to the state from 83 to 105 in line with the state's growing administrative and security needs, the statement said.
The first cadre review after the formation of Telangana was conducted in 2016, while the next review, due in 2021, was delayed and finally carried out in 2025. Even then, only seven additional IPS officers were allocated to the state, the chief minister informed Shah and requested that the third cadre review be conducted in 2026 as per the schedule.
Reddy explained that Telangana, like the rest of the country, is facing several modern challenges, including cybercrime, drug trafficking, white-collar crimes, and other emerging security threats.
He highlighted the reorganisation of the Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Malkajgiri Police Commissionerates, the proposed formation of the Future City Commissionerate and the rapidly growing population in Hyderabad to underline the increasing administrative requirements of the state.
