SC stays HC order in Srinagar sex scandal

New Delhi, Aug 18: The Supreme Court today stayed till the next date of hearing on August 28, the order of J&K High Court dated August 11 issuing directions to the CBI to conduct custodial interrogation of those involved in the Srinagar sex scandal.

The J&K High Court had taken over the monitoring of the investigation suo motu and later the Srinagar Bar Association also filed a petition.

The High Court directed the CBI to report daily at 1230 hrs to apprise the court of the progress made in the case and to arrest all those named by the main accused Sabina, who was running the sex racket in the valley. As per the directions of the High Court, all the accused named by Sabina were to be arrested by August 21.

Solicitor General of India, G E Vahanvati told the SC that the CBI officers conducting the investigation were totally in a quandry while the hearing was taking place for hours together in the High Court and both inside the chambers and in the open court and verbal directions were being issued to arrest the persons without verifying the veracity of allegations made by Sabina.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal, Justices S H Kapadia and C K Thakker was also informed that directions of arrest were being issued on the basis of persons named in the case diary.

Vahanvati also told the court that it is a six year old case and chargesheet against 20 people including two former ministers of J&K, senior police officers and former Additional Advocate General Anil Sethi, son of retd. Supreme Court Jugde, Justice RP Sethi, have already been arrested and chargesheeted in the case.

The Court issued notices to the Srinagar Bar Association returnable on August 28 and directed the CBI to keep ready the case diaries and other records produced before the High Court for perusal of this court.

The Court in its order said "Taken on board notice returnable on August 28, we have studied the impugned order dated August 11. We direct that till the next date of hearing the IO would conduct investigation on the instruction from his seniors and as he may deem fit.

We also direct that case diaries and other record produced before the High Court shall be kept ready for perusal of this court." The CBI had registered the case when the same was referred to it by the state government and High court suo motu started monitoring the investigation.

The Srinagar Bar Association has already given a call to boycott the court proceedings in the case.

UNI