The Jharkhand High Court on Friday ordered a CBI probe in the infamous abduction case of Vikas Pandey, Personal Assistance of Jama MlA Sita Soren. The Central investigating agency will now take charge of the probe in the case, which is connected with the Rajya Sabha Horse trading case 2012.
Hearing a criminal writ petition filed about a year ago by Vikas Pandey’s wife, the Single Bench of Justice DN Upadhyay observed that there was an unnecessary delay in investigation by the local police, which are under the incumbent Government and thus there were bleak chances of reaching a just conclusion during the interrogation. “The honourable court observed that the delay in investigation of the case was deliberate as the responded (Sita Soren) belonged to the party (JMM) in the ruling coalition and was using her influence to delay the investigation process. It, therefore, ordered to entrust the probe of the case to CBI,” petitioner’s counsel Rajiv Kumar said.
“The court also observed that the Speaker of the Assembly had exceeded his jurisdiction by ordering the Investigation Officer to prove other angles involved into the probe. The Speaker according to the court exceeded the provisions of the CrPC,” he added. The abduction of Vikas Pandey alias Shanti Pandey is related with Rajya Sabha Horse trading case of 2012 as according to Pandey he was abducted and beaten up by Sita Soren, her father and others on December 24, 2012.
Pandey is a CBI witness in the Horse trading case and Sita Soren is the widow of JMM Supremo Shibu Soren’s eldest son Durga Soren. Sita is also sitting MlA of the party. On December 24, 2012, Pandey was rescued from Sita’s official residence at Dhuwa area in Ranchi by a team from Argora, Dhurwa and Jagannathpur police stations. Ranchi Police was investigating the case since then and Sita had to secure interim bail from Supreme Court in May 2013.
Earlier in January, the court had asked Ranchi police why an FIR was not lodged against Sita’s father BN Manjhi and other co-accused. However, police was waiting for prosecution orders from Assembly Speaker Shashank Shekhar Bhokta to complete the investigation.