Supreme Court pulls up CBI over Vyapam probe

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to inform it within a week the specific time frame by which it will "take over" entire investigation into the Vyapam scam cases so that the issue of monitoring can be decided.

"We want to know by what time you (the CBI) will take over the investigation which is in the hands of SIT/STF of Madhya Pradesh and we have to taka a decision that should we monitor or ask somebody else to monitor and what aspect is needed to be monitored," a bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu said while posting the matter for July 31.

The bench, also comprising Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy, wanted to know from Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh as to when the counsel will be appointed to represent the CBI.

Senior advocate L Nageshwar Rao, appearing for the Madhya Pradesh government, said there will be need for more than one counsel to represent the CBI in view of the large number of cases arising from the scam.

The ASG said he would be in the position to answer all the questions of the bench by next Friday.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Vivek Tankha, appearing for Congress leader Digvijay Singh, who has sought an apex court-monitored CBI probe into the cases, submitted that an amicus curiae be appointed to assist the court in the matter.

The bench said all these aspects can be considered after receiving the response of the CBI. It also tagged the petition filed by Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas, who has also sought a court-monitored CBI probe and inclusion of whistle blower into the team of investigators.

The apex court on July 9 had ordered the transfer of probe into all Vyapam scam cases and the deaths allegedly linked to it to the CBI and sought response from the Madhya Pradesh government on why an FIR should not be lodged against the governor for his purported involvement in the scandal.

Issuing notices to the Centre, the Madhya Pradesh government and Governor Ram Naresh Yadav on the plea seeking his removal from the gubernatorial post, the apex court transferred the probe of all cases and alleged deaths connected to it from the Special Investigation Team and the Special Task Force to the CBI after the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government "acceded" to the demand.