TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The CBI Court pulled up the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) for having sought orders from Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in a complaint that was filed against him.
Taking note that Parrikar should not have been allowed to go into the records of the investigation, Judge P V Sawaikar in his order said the ACB SP should not have followed this procedure as it amounts to taking opinion of an accused.
Relying on the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of
Manohar Lal Sharma v/s The Principal Secretary & Others (Writ Petition (CRL.) No.120 of 2012), which refers to insulation of CBI from any extraneous influences to enable it to discharge its duty in the manner required for implementation of rule of law, Judge Sawaikar has directed the ACB to take care and not to follow such a procedure in future.
The order was given in the complaint filed by Adv Aires Rodrigues on February 4 last year accusing Chief Minister of criminal misconduct and cheating by causing financial loss to the State exchequer in the illegal appointment of Soniya Phatde as Programme Officer in the Provedoria Department.
However, the complainant will challenge the order by Judge Sawaikar in declining to direct the ACB to register the FIR against the Chief Minister in the High Court.
