Centre to bear expense of retd SC judge supervising NIA probe

The Supreme Court today said its former judge Justice R V Raveendran, under whose guidance the NIA would probe a controversial case of annulment of marriage, would be paid by the Centre a consolidated fee of Rs one lakh, besides Rs two lakh per day for travelling outside Bengaluru.
A bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud said the Centre would reimburse the expenses to Justice (Retd) Raveendran within two weeks from the date of submission of the bills by him.
"Justice R V Raveendran shall be paid a consolidated fee of Rs one lakh for a sitting with National Investigation Agency at Bengaluru and Rs two lakh per day for travelling outside Bengaluru, apart from reimbursement of all travelling, boarding, lodging and secretarial expenses, while discharging the responsibility entrusted to him," the bench said.

"The Government of India shall reimburse the same to Justice R V Raveendran within two weeks from the date of submission of the bills by his Lordship," the apex court said.
The top court has ordered the NIA to probe a case of conversion and marriage of a Hindu woman to a Muslim man, as the agency claimed it was not an isolated incident but a "pattern" was emerging in Kerala.
The Kerala High Court had annulled the marriage, terming it as an instance of 'love jihad'.
The bench said it wanted the probe to be fair and the NIA, being an independent agency outside the state of Kerala, can conduct the probe in an impartial manner and have a different point of view.