CBI again seeks more time to take over Vyapam cases.

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday made yet another attempt to gain two months' time to take over all the 187 Vyapam -- admission and recruitment - scam cases in Madhya Pradesh citing the shortage of manpower and the task's mammoth nature as reasons.

As Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi urged the court to give the investigating agency six to eight weeks' time to complete the exercise, a bench of Chief Justice H.L.Dattu, Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Amitava Roy, appearing cool to the plea, said that matter would be heard on August 24 as directed earlier.

In the course of the last hearing of the matter on July 31 when Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar had asked for similar six to eight weeks time, the court gave three weeks' time saying that "if there is a substantial compliance (of our order to take over all Vyapam cases), we will give you more time".

Rohatgi sought more time as he addressed the court on the department of personnel and training's response on the vacancies in the investigating agency which were coming in the way of its taking up investigations entirely on its own, noting the manpower shortage was entirely on account of police personnel coming to CBI on deputation from the state police.

He said that the support that CBI was seeking from Madhya Pradesh government would be used for handling other CBI cases and not the Vyapam cases.

Of late, the CBI has approached the apex court seeking directions to West Bengal government provide it with state police personnel to carry out its investigation in Saradha and non-Saradha chit fund scans and is now asking Madhya Pradesh to provide its police personnel.

Rohatgi noted that before the investigation into Vyapam cases was handed over to CBI, about 2,000 state police personnel were involved with it and what is being sought now is just 250 police officers.

However, he told the court not to pass any order, as they were already taking to Madhya Pradesh government and would find some way out.