Court refuses CBI director's plea to gag media from reporting on documents

The Supreme Court on Thursday said that it cannot take cognisance of documents pertaining to the entry list of visitors at Central Bureau of Investigations director’s residence till they are placed on record and asked advocate Prashant Bhushan to file an affidavit annexing the materials.

At the outset of the proceedings, a bench headed by Justice H L Dattu, said, it had gone through the documents and it is desirable that they be placed on affidavit. “We have gone through the documents. We cannot take cognisance of this until it is placed on record,” the bench said, asking advocate Bhushan to file an affidavit.

The bench agreed to give an urgent hearing on the issue and decided to assemble at 10 am, half an hour before the normal court time, on Monday.

The bench also turned down the plea of the CBI director to restrain media from broadcasting and publishing news stories on the basis of documents.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for CBI Director Ranjit Sinha, raised questions on the veracity and source of the documents. He submitted that his right to privacy and reputation was involved in the case and pleaded the court to restrain media.

Sinha also refuted all the allegations made against him, saying all such statements are “patently false”. The advocate also raised questions on how the documents got leaked despite apex court’s order that they should be placed before it in a sealed envelope.

Singh further pleaded that apex court should ask Bhushan about the source from which he acquired those documents. The CBI director is at the centre of a controversy after an NGO had told the Supreme Court that entry register of his residence portrays a “very disturbing” and “explosive material” coming in the way of administration of justice in 2G spectrum allocation scam.