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CGHS scam: HC warns CBI to summon chief
A division bench of Justice Vijinder Jain and Justice Rekha Sharma granted 4 weeks time to CBI to file status report.
The Delhi High Court on Monday warned that it would summon the CBI Director to the court if the country's premier investigating agency adopted any dilatory tactics in pursuing the multi-crore Central Group Housing Societies scandal.
A division bench of Justice Vijinder Jain and Justice Rekha Sharma granted four weeks time to the CBI to file a "status report" on the role of 97 housing societies that were revived after year 2000.
The bench directed its ire against the CBI after its counsel Harish Gulati failed to furnish any report on the 97 societies as directed by the court on January 9 this year.
When the matter, being dealt on a PIL, came up for hearing, Gulati took the plea that the agency would not be able to expedite the probe as it was grossly understopped.
However, the bench refused to buy the arguments and warned it would summon the Director if the preliminary report is not filed before the next date of hearing on March 21.
Earlier in its status report, the CBI submitted that out of 152 societies revived prior to 2000, 22 were found genuine, while 97 were found engaged in criminal misconduct and rest 13 others were responsible for procedural irregularities.
The bench also directed the Registrar of Cooperative Societies to initiate steps for allotment of land to the 22 genuine societies following the clean cheat given by the CBI.
