The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Union of India, Central Bureau of Investigation, governments of Karnataka and Maharshtra, other states and Union Territories to file affidavits on whether they want cases related to the multicrore stamps scam to be transferred to the CBI.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice V N Khare directed the respondents to file their replies within four weeks. A number of petitions had been filed in the apex court requesting a directive for a single investigation into the stamps scam.
Noted Gandhian Anna Hazare had filed a petition opposing the transfer of the case, which is being carried out by the Special Investigation Team in Maharashtra.
Ajay Aggarwal, an advocate who had filed the petitions for the transfer of cases to CBI, told newsmen that the state governments of Maharashtra and Karnataka had told the apex court that they have no objections if the cases are transferred to the CBI.
"We want the CBI to investigate the matter because the case has countrywide ramifications. We want this investigation to be done under the supervision of the Supreme Court. All the respondents have been give four weeks to file their responses," Aggarwal said.
The advocate for Maharashra said the Karnataka government had invoked Article 268 of the Constitution, which prevents the transfer of prime accused Abdul Karim Telgi, currently lodged in a Bangalore jail, to any other state.
"This is hampering the investigations being carried out by the SIT in Maharashtra," the Maharashtra advocate argued.
Anna Hazare's advocate Ashvin Bhalekar said he opposed the transfer of Maharashtra cases to the CBI because the SIT was doing a good job under the supervision of the Mumbai high court.
"The SIT has filed a 15,000-page charge sheet. Over 400 persons have been questioned. If the case is transferred to the CBI then the agency would take three to four months to go through the documents and the very purpose of speedy investigations would be defeated," Bhalekar argued.