HC rejects review plea seeking action against ex-top cop Bassi

New Delhi, May 20: Delhi High Court on Friday May 20 rejected a petition seeking review of its earlier order dismissing a plea for action against the then Police Commissioner B S Bassi for allegedly "influencing" the probe in the sedition case against JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar and others.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath observed that there was no ground to review their order passed on February 29.

"We do not find any ground to review the order. You can not raise such a issue in a PIL (public interest litigation). The review petition is dismissed," the bench said. The bench had on February 29 dismissed the plea observing it was for "publicity interest" and courts cannot be burdened with such applications.

Petitioner Satish Pandey had earlier alleged in his plea that Bassi's statement that police would not oppose Kanhaiya's bail plea could influence fair and transparent investigation in the matter as well as court proceedings.

Kanhaiya was subsequently granted interim bail for six months by the Delhi High Court. During the hearing today, Pandey told the bench that the statement given by Bassi, who was the then police chief, may have influenced the probe in the case.

"I do not want any order against anybody. I just want that such type of person holding higher authority should not have given such statement. It may have influenced the investigation in the matter which was then at an initial stage," he said.

The petitioner had earlier referred to newspaper reports and had said that his plea was based on the statement given by Bassi which was widely published in the media.

He had claimed that police was "playing into the hands of some political parties under whom Delhi Police is working" and Bassi should be directed to clear his views on the statements allegedly given by him on February 16 and 17.

Bassi retired on February 29.

PTI