CBI trespass into Odisha HC judge res: SC for amicable settlement

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today opined for amicable settlement of the case pertaining to CBI official’s entry attempt into the official residence of Orissa High Court sitting judge Justice C R Das.

A division bench of the apex court comprising of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan made the observation after Additional Solicitor General (ASG) on behalf of the CBI submitted before the court through an affidavit during the course of the hearing that the central investigative agency has already apologized for its act by meeting Justice C R Das and Orissa High Court Chief Justice Vineet Saran.

However, Odisha Bar Association today sought two weeks from the Supreme Court to reply to its notice in the matter, which was allowed by the latter.

“Inconvenience was caused to the High Court judge. We haven’t received the petition so we said we will look into it and seek instructions and verify the facts and get back. So the court has given us two weeks time. The matter will be listed after two weeks,” informed Gourav Khanna, counselor for Odisha Bar Association.

It may be mentioned here that a CBI team of four officials led by the agency’s Inspector P K Mishra probing a corruption case allegedly involving retired Orissa High Court Judge I M Quddusi had on September 20, this year attempted to trespass into the official quarters of sitting High Court Judge Justice Das in Cuttack.

An FIR was registered at the Cantonment Road police station in this connection. That apart, the Odisha Bar Association had filed a PIL in the High Court against the CBI’s wrongful act.

The High Court had served notices to the State government, Union government, CBI and 10 others as parties.

However, the CBI had petitioned the apex court for shifting the case elsewhere.

Following CBI’s petition, the Supreme Court while imposing a stay on October 13 on the hearing of the matter at the High Court had served a notice to the Odisha Bar Association as well.