New Delhi, Oct 8: Proceedings regarding the Punjab government’s appeal against a High Court-mandated CBI investigation into alleged administrative corruption were adjourned by the Supreme Court on Thursday.
The matter was placed before a bench consisting of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Sheel Nagu, which postponed the hearing to Friday owing to a delay in the transmission of case documents. Addressing senior advocate Vikas Singh, who appeared for Punjab, Justice Datta stated that the bench would take up the plea the next day as the file had not yet reached Justice Nagu.
The legal challenge stems from a High Court order directing the central agency to investigate claims of cash-for-transfers and policy favors, requiring a report within two months alongside the transfer of all relevant state police records. The petitioner in the High Court contended that an independent central probe was necessary given the nature of the allegations and the absence of state action following ED communications.
Challenging the directive, the state government maintained that the High Court erred by mandating an investigation without prior approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The petition further highlighted that general consent under Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act has been withdrawn in Punjab since November 2020. State counsel urged the court to alternatively permit its own Bureau of Investigation to complete a preliminary inquiry and submit an action-taken report within a fixed timeframe.
