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SC orders CBI probe
into Rajan Pillai's death

Onkar Singh in New Delhi

The Supreme Court has upheld a lower court ruling ordering a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the death of industrialist Rajan Pillai.

CBI spokesperson S M Khan confirmed the news to rediff.com.

The agency had moved a special leave petition against the Delhi high court order last year, which had upheld magistrate Prem Kumar's order that keeping in mind the special circumstances and facts, the case should be handed over to the CBI for further investigation.

Upholding the high court order, the two-judge bench, consisting of Justices K T Thomas and R Sethi, held that they were ordering a CBI probe only in this case. They, however, upheld the CBI's plea that the magistrate cannot ask the bureau to probe any case.

Pillai was moved to a Delhi hospital after he vomited blood and died of liver failure while in judicial custody in Tihar jail in early 1997. His wife, Neena, had filed a criminal complaint in magistrate Prem Kumar's court, alleging that godman Chandra Swami, Rakesh Saxena, industrialist Nusli Wadia and Roff Johnson had entered into a criminal conspiracy to get her husband killed. She registered the complaint in 1997.

Neena was represented by noted lawyer Indira Jaisingh.

Reacting to the decision, Neena told rediff.com in Bombay: "The SC ordering the CBI to probe Rajan Pillai's death signifies that the highest court in the land has taken cognisance of my charges that there was a conspiracy behind the killing of my husband. Nothing can bring Rajan back. But his name was sullied while culprits sought to come out smelling of roses. Now they will be investigated. I'm exhilarated at the prospect of my husband getting a clean chit."

Describing it as "a very healthy development", Jaisingh said, "The very nature of the case is such that it could not have been properly investigated by the Delhi police, as it has international ramifications and the people against whom allegations have been made, like Chandra Swami are well-connected. So we look forward to a thorough investigation by the CBI and I hope that the truth will eventually come out."

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