New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Friday refused to stay a CBI investigation into an FIR filed against officials of the Enforcement Directorate in Ranchi, delivering a setback to the Jharkhand government.
A bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and N. Kotiswar Singh dismissed the state’s petition challenging the order of the Jharkhand High Court, which had transferred the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Appearing for the state, senior advocate Meenakshi Arora sought an interim stay on the investigation, but the court declined to grant any relief, allowing the CBI to proceed.
The matter stems from a complaint by Santosh Kumar, an employee of the state’s Drinking Water and Sanitation Department and an accused in a money laundering case. He alleged that ED officials assaulted and harassed him during questioning at their Ranchi office on January 12.
Based on his complaint, an FIR was registered at the Airport police station in Ranchi. Subsequent action by local police at the ED office sparked a confrontation, with the agency accusing the state police of unlawful interference and approaching the High Court.
On March 11, Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi ordered the case to be handed over to the CBI, citing the need for an impartial investigation. The High Court also stayed the state police probe and directed that the ED office be secured by paramilitary forces.
The Jharkhand government challenged this directive, arguing that the state police had jurisdiction in the case. However, the Supreme Court’s refusal to intervene means the High Court’s order stands, and the CBI will continue its investigation.
With inputs from IANS