THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi/New Delhi, April 24: The Supreme Court today dismissed the Jharkhand government’s Special Leave Petition (SLP), upholding the High Court’s order directing a CBI probe into a criminal case filed against two Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers in Ranchi.
SC Refuses to Interfere with HC Order
A bench of Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh said it found no reason to interfere with the Jharkhand High Court’s March 11 order. The SLP was accordingly dismissed, and all pending applications were disposed of.
HC had ordered a CBI Probe
Earlier, the Jharkhand High Court had ordered a CBI investigation into the FIR lodged against two ED officials, citing the need for an independent and impartial probe. The court, however, had refused to quash the FIR.
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The case originated from a complaint by Santosh Kumar, an accused in an alleged drinking water (Peyjal) scam, who claimed he was assaulted inside the ED office during questioning. Based on the complaint, Jharkhand Police registered an FIR under various provisions related to assault, wrongful confinement and intimidation.
The ED officials denied the allegations, claiming the injury was self-inflicted and termed the FIR a retaliatory move to derail ongoing investigations.
Court Flagged Concerns Over Police Action
The High Court had raised concerns over the conduct of the state police, noting the “unusual haste” in treating the ED office as a crime scene. It observed that the sequence of events created apprehension of possible influence by “high-ups” under investigation.
Emphasising that a fair probe is central to the rule of law, the High Court held that when two agencies are in conflict, an independent investigation becomes necessary to maintain public confidence.
Why CBI Probe Was Ordered
The High Court cited exceptional circumstances—serious allegations against central agency officials, the backdrop of sensitive corruption probes, and doubts over the neutrality of the state police—to justify handing over the case to the CBI.
It directed the CBI to take over the investigation, while instructing Jharkhand Police to transfer all records without delay.