SC dismisses CBI's plea against stay on probe against Dy CM D K Shivakumar in graft case
New Delhi, Ju (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with the Karnataka High Court's order granting an interim stay on a CBI probe against the state's Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar in a corruption case.
A bench of Justice B R Gavai, Justice C T Ravikumar and Justice Sanjay Kumar dismissed the appeal filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation against the February 10 order of the high court in the case.
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju said that the division bench of the high court granted an interim stay on the proceedings despite there being an order in favour of the agency.
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Shivakumar, said the CBI has filed an appeal against an interim order of the high court but refused to challenge subsequent interim orders passed by the division bench of the high court.
The Supreme Court bench then said it is not going to interfere and granted the CBI liberty to request the high court for speedy disposal of the case before it.
On February 10, the Karnataka High Court stayed CBI proceedings in a corruption case against Shivakumar. The HC has also directed the probe agency to submit an action-taken report in the case registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The high court pointed out that the cases registered against Shivakumar were of 2020 and also questioned the CBI on the progress of the investigation over the last two years. The high court had asked the agency when would it file the final report as it stayed the proceedings till the next date of hearing and adjourned the case.
The Income Tax Department raided Shivakumar in 2017. Based on the information provided by the I-T department, the Enforcement Directorate too started its probe against him.
Based on the ED investigation, the CBI sought sanction from the state government to file an FIR against the Congress' Karnataka unit president. The sanction came on September 25, 2019, and the FIR was filed on October 3, 2020. Shivakumar has challenged the FIR in the High 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.
Kurla bus tragedy: Court denies bail to accused driver again
Mumbai (PTI): A court here on Friday denied bail to the driver of the BEST bus, which was involved in an accident that killed nine persons and left 42 others injured four months back, saying the offence was serious in nature.
This was the second time the court denied bail to accused driver Sanjay More.
His fresh bail application was rejected by additional sessions judge V G Raghuwanshi.
The bus, operated by the civic-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking, hit several vehicles and pedestrians after the driver lost control over the wheels on the S G Barve Marg in Kurla (West) around 9.30 pm on December 10.
Following the incident, the driver was arrested for offences committed under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
More made a fresh application for bail after the police filed the fresh chargesheet, stating the investigation was complete.
The bail plea said his further incarceration was unwarranted and that he had been "falsely implicated" in the case.
The accused claimed that Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) is not attracted in this case as there was "no intention to cause harm".
His plea termed the accident as "unfortunate".
The driver was given only three days of training to operate an electric bus, in spite of the mandatory requirement of 15 days, it said.
The prosecution, however, contended that there was no mechanical fault in the bus.
More had driven an electric bus for 728 kilometres. Therefore, he cannot say that proper training was not imparted to him, the prosecution submitted.
It said the informant, who is a police officer, witnessed the incident and according to him the bus was "being driven in a rash and reckless manner". The prosecution further submitted that the applicant had no psychological problem nor was he intoxicated at the time of incident.
After hearing both sides, the court noted that the previous bail order recorded "reasons in details" and there was "no change in circumstances".
"The offence is very serious, in which nine persons were killed, several persons were injured and several vehicles were damaged. This is not a fit case to exercise discretion in favour of the applicant," it added.
_vb_78.jpeg)