Mohali The court of special CBI judge, Gurkirpal Singh Sekhon, on Monday, hearing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) appeal to restrain the special investigating team (SIT) that the Punjab government has formed for investigating the Behbal Kalan and Bargari sacrilege cases of 2015, directed the complainant and accused to share the copies of the replies filed by them with each other. The court deferred the hearing for July 29.
The judge warned all counsels that ‘the party who will not argue the matter on the next date of hearing will be presumed to be not an interested party and the court will proceed as per the law.’
On July 8, the CBI had moved the court urging it to stop DIG Ranbir Singh Khatra-led SIT from carrying out “parallel probe” in sacrilege cases. The move came two days after the SIT named Sirsa dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh as an accused in the 2015 theft of a ‘bir’ (copy) of Guru Granth Sahib. The CBI plea has claimed that the agency is still conducting a probe in these cases and there can’t be two simultaneous investigations by two agencies in same cases.
Punjab, in its reply to the court, filed through district attorneys Sanjiv Batra, and RK Salwan alleged that the CBI has, in an illegal and unjustified manner, withheld the handing over of the case files. “It is submitted that the said actions of the CBI clearly amount to contempt of the orders passed by the Supreme Court, the high court and the State of Punjab reserves its rights to take action with regard to the same,” the reply added.
{{/usCountry}}Punjab, in its reply to the court, filed through district attorneys Sanjiv Batra, and RK Salwan alleged that the CBI has, in an illegal and unjustified manner, withheld the handing over of the case files. “It is submitted that the said actions of the CBI clearly amount to contempt of the orders passed by the Supreme Court, the high court and the State of Punjab reserves its rights to take action with regard to the same,” the reply added.
{{/usCountry}}Advocate Gagan Pradeep Singh Bal, counsel for the complainant, has replied that the SIT investigation is not criminal contempt and it has the legality of doing investigation. Accused’s counsel RK Handa also filed an application, seeking interim stay to restrain the Punjab SIT to proceed further parallel investigation, till the pendency of the matter in this court.