The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation on a plea for shifting the trial of Madhumita Shukla murder case involving former Uttar Pradesh Minister Amarmani Tripathi to another judge in Dehradun court.
Though, a bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhan and V S Sirpurkar sought reply from the agency, it observed that such a plea would only delay the trial and would give a ground to the accused to seek bail.
"You cannot choose the judge. If you make this type of case it would only delay the trial and could be a ground for bail for the accused," the bench said while hearing the petition filed by the slain poetess' sister Nidhi Shukla.
Nidhi has sought shifting the trial of the case to another judge contending that the judge holding the trial of the case was a close acquaintance and family friend of Tripathy.
The trial in the case was transferred to the Dehradun court on apex court direction after the poetess family had alleged that the accused could influence the outcome of the case as he was an influential person.
Further, it was alleged that he was threatening the witnesses and family members of the victims.
The apex court had cancelled his bail after finding that he was trying to de-rail the investigation of the case. Tripathi's wife Madhumani is a co-accused in the case.
Madhumita was killed allegedly at the behest of Tripathi couple as she was carrying the foetus of the former minister with she had an intimate relationship.