New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday set aside the Manipur High Court order, directing the CBI to locate and produce a rape convict on the run.
The matter was heard by a bench comprising justices B V Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh. The bench said the order passed by the High Court was unnecessary while relieving the agency of the task.
The bench said: "We find that the request made by the CBI is genuine, particularly when the state has constituted a special team in order to trace the convict".
The bench set aside the direction by the High Court to the CBI, saying it was unnecessary. "The directions are set aside. However, it is necessary to observe that the state will make all endeavours to trace the convict," said the bench.
Suo moto directions were passed by the Manipur High Court in October 2023 directing the CBI to speedily track and produce Timothi Changsang, a Northeast child-home administrator convicted under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, for raping minor girls within three months before the High Court. The convict has been absconding since 2018 and is yet to be found.
The CBI moved the top court challenging the High Court order. In July 2024, the apex court stayed the impugned directions. According to the CBI, it was not even implemented as a party but a direction was nevertheless passed.
