SC refuses jail’s plea for report
The Supreme Court on Thursday declined Ghaziabad jail district superintendent’s request seeking the viscera report of prime accused in the Provident Fund scam, Ashutosh Asthana, who died under mysterious circumstances while in custody.
The Supreme Court on Thursday declined Ghaziabad jail district superintendent’s request seeking the viscera report of prime accused in the Provident Fund scam, Ashutosh Asthana, who died under mysterious circumstances while in custody.
Asthana’s viscera report was prepared by All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on SC’s directions. Though the report ruled out foul play, it was placed before the court in a sealed cover.
Even the judicial inquiry conducted into Asthana’s mysterious death did not point out to any foul play.
Asthana, who worked with the Ghaziabad district court, was the prime accused in the Provident Fund scam involving 36 sitting and retired district and Allahabad high court judges.
A sitting SC judge, too, was named as a beneficiary of the scam.
The Supreme Court had asked the CBI to probe the scam and was monitoring the investigation. The CBI has already filed its chargesheet.
The district jail superintendent apparently wrote to SC in July seeking a copy of the viscera report in pursuance to a request by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
The commission is also inquiring into the mysterious death of Asthana, who had named several judges of the Allahabad High Court and those of the district court as beneficiaries of the scam.
The superintendent had also forwarded the NHRC letter written to him in June.
However, no one appeared for the superintendent before the SC on Thursday.
The bench headed by Justice DK Jain asked CBI counsel TA Khan whether the agency wanted to the report to prosecute anyone.
On his refusal, the court said the viscera would not be released to anyone. It further added that if the NHRC wanted it for a probe, the commission can approach the SC directly.