Probe in Delhi Sagar Ratna encounter case transferred to CBI: Centre

New Delhi, Jul 13: The probe into the encounter killing of Manoj Vashisth, accused in several cases of fraud, at a restaurant here in May has been transferred to CBI, the government said today.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain also told the Delhi High Court that since the probe has been transferred to CBI as sought by Vashisth's wife, her plea should be disposed of. The ASG told Justice Ashutosh Kumar that on July 10, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued direction to transfer the case to CBI.

Vashisth's wife, Priyanka, in her plea had sought transfer of the investigation to CBI. Vashisth's family has alleged that he was killed in "cold blood" in a "staged encounter" at Sagar Ratna restaurant in New Rajender Nagar area in Central Delhi.

45-year-old Vashisth, who was allegedly wanted in several cases of fraud, was hit by a bullet in an alleged gun fight with a team of Special Cell of Delhi Police on May 16.

He was then taken to a nearby hospital where he was declared 'brought dead'. Meanwhile, a number of lawyers today alleged before the court that they had invested several crores in a land project of Vashisth and no one seemed to be concerned about the investors.

They alleged that Vashisth's wife was a beneficiary of undue enrichment of money invested by them and termed as unfair the transfer of the probe into his killing to CBI when nothing was being done for them. They also alleged that Vashisth's wife had filed the plea for a CBI probe to escape from the claims of the investors. (more) PTI HMP AG ARC