Bench to study transfer of cases

By Our Staff Correspondent

PATNA, JAN. 12. The Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, Mr. Justice R. S. Dhawan, has constituted a full bench of three judges to decide on the contentious issue of whether or not cases related to the multi-crore fodder scam be transferred to Jharkhand.

The bench, comprising Mr. Justice Nagendra Rai, Mr. Justice Aftab Alam and Mr. Justice Sheokirti Singh, today decided to hear claims and counter-claims in this regard on January 31. It directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to state through an affidavit the cases it wanted transferred to Ranchi, and also invited counter-claims from the people concerned.

It, however, decided not to interfere with the present exercise undertaken by the designated court, which is presently hearing the parties concerned. The court hoped that the special CBI would convey its ruling on the issue to it by the said date.

The CBI has filed chargesheets in 39 of the 61 cases, including the disproportionate assets (DA) ones, it has lodged with respect to the excess withdrawal scam. Trial has commenced in eight cases so far.

The newly-constituted monitoring bench, comprising Mr. Justice S. N. Jha and Mr. Narain Rai, held its first meeting today with respect to the 22 cases still under investigation. It directed the CBI to submit by February 2 a chart of cases it intended to continue with through its centres at Patna, Ranchi and Dhanbad. On the basis of the CBI's list, the court would limit itself to monitor only those cases which come under the jurisdiction of the Patna bureau.

SC adjourns hearing of CBI plea on Kaur's bail

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 12. The Supreme Court today adjourned till January 15 the hearing on a petition filed by the CBI seeking cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court to the former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee Chief, Bibi Jagir Kaur, in the case of alleged murder of her daughter Harpreet Kaur.

A Bench comprising Mr. Justice D.P. Mohapatra and Mr. Justice Shivaraj V. Patil, adjourned the proceedings to Monday as the arguments remained inconclusive. In her reply to the CBI's petition, Ms. Kaur said the CBI had falsely implicated her in the case and that she was innocent. She prayed for dismissal of the petition.

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