The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe financial transactions of visitors figuring in the entry diary of former CBI Director Ranjit Sinha, whose role is being probed in the coalgate scam.
The CBI’s special investigation team (SIT) examining the alleged nexus between Sinha and the accused in the coal scam case who visited him during his tenure as Director, informed the apex court that substantial progress has been made in the probe. The allegation against Sinha is that he prima facie tried to scuttle the investigation in coal scam cases.
A bench of Justices Madan B lokur, Kurian Joseph and AK Sikri told CBI special prosecutor RS Cheema that the SIT must look into the financial transaction of the visitors in order to draw possible “links”. “Do not segregate the cases when persons met (former CBI Director) and any financial transactions that took place during the same time,” said the bench.
Senior advocate Cheema told the bench that on going through the visitors’ diary, not all names of visitors are mentioned. In most cases, the vehicles entering the house are entered in the register. The Court asked Cheema to verify the details of owner based on the vehicle registration number. Cheema expressed hope that the probe would be over in another three months.
However, progress in the investigations by the CBI and ED in the main coal scam cases has been slow, observed the bench after examining status reports submitted by both the CBI and ED. The bench listed the matter in the second week of March to see further progress into the investigation after it was informed that SIT will take six more months to complete the probe.