Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who represents the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, an NGO whose PIL in 2010 led to cancellation of 2G spectrum licences, on Tuesday said the attendance register at CBI Director Ranjit Sinha’s residence shows the names of several “influential persons” associated with accused persons in the spectrum and coal scam cases.
The advocate’s revelation came during a hearing of a 2G scam related case before a three-judge Bench led by Justice H. L. Dattu.
“Last night I came across a very disturbing and explosive material. The entry register at the Director's residence,” Mr. Bhushan said.
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He referred to a news report which claimed that top executives of a company indicted in the 2G scam met CBI Director at his residence in the past 15 months.
The Bench, however, stopped him from further revealing in the open court details of the material. Instead, it asked him to enclose everything in a sealed cover for the perusal of the court.
“Today we are not saying anything about the person's character. We will take up the matter on Thursday [September 4]. Give us copies of the material you have in a sealed cover today itself,” Justice Dattu told Mr. Bhushan.
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The NGO earlier moved an application in court alleging that the CBI chief had repeatedly tried to scuttle the 2G scam probe. It also claimed that Mr. Sinha had intervened to stop the CBI from filing the charge sheet against former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran in the Aircel-Maxis case.
The CBI Director's counsel and senior advocate Vikas Singh, countered the allegations saying it was an attempt to “destroy the institution.” He also sought a copy of the material from Mr. Bhushan.
Ram Jethmalani, appearing for DMK leader Kanimozhi, rose in support of the CBI Director, saying he has been acting honestly as the head of the prosecuting agency in the 2G scam cases. He questioned how Mr. Bhushan could make these allegations without putting them in a signed affidavit.
Reacting to the allegations, the CBI described them as “false, baseless, malicious and intended solely to destroy the credibility of the CBI as an institution and the reputation of its Director in particular.”
“It appears to be part of a concerted design to malign India’s premier investigating and prosecuting agency,” agency spokesperson Kanchan Prasad said in a statement.