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High court pulls up CBI in HDW probe

The Delhi high court on Monday rapped the Central Bureau of Investigation for its failure to comply with a judicial order to file a status report on the Rs 200 million HDW submarine scam, and ordered it to do so within two days.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Mahinder Napain and Justice K Mahajan asked the CBI official present to explain why the December 8, 1997 order of the bench was not complied with.

The court had that day asked the CBI to place before it the status report on the controversial deal, wherein kickbacks running into millions of rupees were allegedly paid to public servants and defence officials.

The court was hearing a petition filed by environmental and legal activist B L Handhere, seeking direction to the investigating agency to speedily conduct the probe into the deal, struck in 1987 with HDW Ltd, a German firm.

The bench refused to accept the CBI's request for placing the status report only for the court's perusal in a sealed cover.

To the court's query whether the CBI had enquired about German income tax laws when the agreement was signed, the agency official said they had made efforts but could not obtain the information as almost 11 years had lapsed.

UNI

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