New Delhi: Supreme Court has refused to quash the Bombay High Court order of CBI probe against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. The apex court said it is not inclined to 'interfere' in the matter.
A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Hemant Gupta dismissed the petitions by observing the nature of allegations, personas involved, allegations are serious and require investigation agency to probe.
"It is a matter of public confidence as we note that what has been ordered is just a preliminary enquiry and we are not inclined to interfere," the order said.
The top court was convinced with the Bombay High Court order and without hearing the arguments of opposite parties, dismissed the petitions filed by the Maharashtra government and Deshmukh.
"He (Deshmukh) did not resign when the state set up a Commission of Enquiry. He quit after the High Court's order. He was clinging to office," it observed.
During the hearing, the bench also remarked that the former Mumbai Police Commissioner, who made the allegations against him, was not Deshmukh's enemy but instead, "was almost his right-hand man".
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Deshmukh, submitted that allegations against his client were only hearsay and have no evidentiary value, and cannot become ground for a CBI probe into the matter. As he insisted that his client should have been heard before the High Court passed the order for CBI enquiry, the bench noted that CBI investigation into the matter is not an attack on the federal structure.
(With inputs from IANS)
