India News

Delhi court pulls up “lazy” CBI for delay in disposal of 37-year-old case, fines agency Rs 10K

Published

9 years ago

October 1, 2017

Delhi court pulls up “lazy” CBI for delay in disposal of 37-year-old case, fines agency Rs 10K

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The case, filed in 1981, pertains to theft and attempted smuggling of an antique idol from the Takashakeshwar Mahadev temple in Allahabad

In a stinging indictment of the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) lethargic pace of prosecuting cases, a special court in New Delhi has fined the premier agency’s director of prosecution Rs 10000 for delaying the disposal of a case of theft for nearly four decades. Quoting an Urdu proverb – Muddai Sust, Gawah Chust (the complainant is lazy and the witness is active) – the court reprimanded the CBI for not being “vigilant enough” while disposing off pending cases.

“As is apparent on the face of the record, this is the best case where an old saying ‘Muddai Sust, Gawah Chust’ has come true in all its spirit. The case was filed by the CBI and hence it should have been vigilant enough to see that the old cases are disposed off as early as possible,” special judge Sanjay Kumar Aggarwal said.

The comments came while the special court was adjudicating over a case filed by the CBI sometime in 1981 regarding the theft of an antique idol from the Takashakeshwar Mahadev temple situated on the banks of the river Yamuna in Allahabad’s Dariabad locality. The idol was stolen with the alleged purpose of smuggling it out to New York. The case filed by the CBI in the matter has been raging on for nearly 37 years and is currently in the stage of final arguments.

The premier investigation agency came in for the court’s reprimand for transferring the public prosecutor in the case without informing the court or naming another lawyer for representing the case. The court took a dim view of the agency’s failure and imposed a cost of Rs. 10,000 on the office of the CBI’s director of prosecution.

According to a report by NDTV, the special court noted that it was aware that it “cannot put its neck” into the administrative affairs of a department as that was the sole prerogative of the agency. However, special judge Aggarwal also pointed out that he wasn’t imposing the cost purely because the CBI chose to transfer its senior public prosecutor but as the agency didn’t bother to inform the court of its decision.

The court sought to know “why steps in anticipation were not taken by the director of prosecution so that no inconvenience is caused to this court for effective disposal of this oldest case and the other old cases in which the hearing was in progress.”

The judge also pointed out to the investigation agency that under directives given by the Supreme Court for effective disposal of cases that had been pending for a period of over 10 years, it had specifically asked the CBI’s previous prosecutor BK Singh to prepare himself for the case. However, Singh was transferred within six months even though he had advanced himself with all the facts and law of the cases pending in the special court while the CBI gave no prior information to the court in this regard, the NDTV report said.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

India News

LPU students protest over reported rape allegation, police call it rumour

Students at Lovely Professional University protested over a reported rape allegation involving a worker, with police describing the claim as a rumour.

Published

10 hours ago

September 27, 2026

APNLive Desk

Students of Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab staged a protest after an allegation involving the reported rape of a student by a worker at the university surfaced.

The protest led to disruption around the university, with students taking to the streets and blocking the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway, according to the report.

The allegation triggered anger among students, who demanded action over the reported incident.

Police describe rape claim as rumour

Police, however, described the rape claim as a rumour, indicating that the allegation had not been established as a confirmed incident.

The distinction is important because the reported sexual assault allegation should not be treated as a confirmed rape unless investigators or other authoritative sources establish that fact.

The protests nevertheless continued as students sought clarity and action over the issue.

Protest disrupts traffic

The student demonstration also affected traffic on the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway. The protest brought attention to the allegations and the concerns being raised by students at the university.

With police calling the claim a rumour, further verification and investigation would be necessary to establish what actually happened.

India News

INDIA bloc likely to meet on September 30 over Gyanesh Kumar row

INDIA bloc parties are likely to meet in New Delhi on September 30 amid growing opposition to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Published

22 hours ago

September 26, 2026

APNLive Desk

Opposition parties belonging to the INDIA bloc are set to meet in New Delhi on September 30 to discuss concerns surrounding the Election Commission, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and a proposed removal motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The proposed meeting comes amid growing coordination among opposition parties over the functioning of the poll panel and demands for action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The parties are also discussing a possible joint response to the developments.

Why is the INDIA bloc meeting being planned?

The INDIA bloc meeting on September 30 comes amid reports of objections within the Election Commission over certain decisions and orders related to the SIR exercise.

According to the report, Opposition leaders have been discussing a coordinated response to their concerns over the Election Commission and the electoral-roll revision process.

The issue is also expected to be discussed at the Congress Working Committee meeting scheduled for September 29, a day before the proposed INDIA bloc meeting.

Gyanesh Kumar removal demand in focus

The demand for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has become a major point of contention between the Opposition and the Election Commission.

The CPI(M), CPI and CPI(ML)-Liberation have demanded Kumar’s removal and an immediate halt to the SIR exercise. Congress has also intensified its criticism of the CEC.

Opposition parties are also working on a fresh removal motion against Gyanesh Kumar. The September 30 meeting is expected to finalise the strategy for the motion, including the collection of signatures. According to the report, this would be the Opposition’s third such attempt.

What is the SIR controversy?

The political dispute is linked to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, or SIR.

The controversy intensified following a report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on several occasions concerning decisions and orders related to the SIR process.

The Election Commission has said that differing views and observations are part of normal deliberations in a multi-member constitutional body. The poll panel has also maintained that its orders have legal sanction and follow statutory procedures, while stating that the final decisions on the SIR were taken unanimously.

TMC and Left parties coordinate over the issue

The developments have also brought the Trinamool Congress and the CPI(M) together on the Election Commission issue, despite their political differences in West Bengal.

CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby proposed an immediate meeting to discuss a joint strategy. According to the report, Mamata Banerjee spoke with M A Baby and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, after which the leaders settled on September 30 for the meeting.

What could be discussed at the September 30 meeting?

The proposed meeting is expected to focus on:

Concerns surrounding the Election Commission
The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls
Opposition demands concerning CEC Gyanesh Kumar
A possible fresh removal notice against the CEC
A coordinated response by INDIA bloc parties

The exact agenda and participation will depend on the discussions among the opposition parties before the proposed meeting.

India News

“Will die but won’t give up”: Sahil Wakode’s parents urge IIT students to continue fight

Sahil Wakode’s parents have appealed to IIT Bombay students to continue their fight for justice amid the ongoing investigation into their son’s death.

Published

23 hours ago

September 26, 2026

APNLive Desk

The parents of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode have appealed to students to continue raising their voices and fighting for justice following their son’s death.

Sahil Wakode, a second-year student at IIT Bombay, died in his hostel room on September 18. His death has led to student protests and an ongoing investigation by the Mumbai Crime Branch.

What Sahil Wakode’s parents have alleged

Sahil’s parents have alleged that their son faced caste-based discrimination and harassment at IIT Bombay before his death. They have sought action against those they hold responsible and have demanded a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

The family has also called for a CBI inquiry and has sought the arrest of officials named in the case. These remain allegations and are part of the ongoing investigation.

The Mumbai Crime Branch took over the probe after an FIR was registered following the complaint by Sahil’s parents.

IIT Bombay’s position

IIT Bombay has said that Sahil was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination and had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers.

The institute has maintained that no disciplinary action had been initiated against him. It said the matter had been discussed with him by the instructor and the Head of the Department, who counselled him and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.

The circumstances surrounding Sahil’s death are being investigated by the appropriate authorities.

Investigation continues

The case remains under investigation, with the Mumbai Crime Branch examining the circumstances surrounding Sahil’s death and the allegations made by his family.

His parents have continued to demand justice and action against those they believe were responsible, while the investigation is expected to establish the facts surrounding the case.