CWG: Court slaps Rs 10k cost on CBI for 'unwarranted conduct'

A Delhi court has slapped a cost of Rs 10,000 on the CBI for its "unwarranted conduct" in creating "unnecessary confusion" and delay in the proceedings in a Commonwealth Games-related corruption case in which Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi and others are facing trial.
The court directed the CBI to deposit the cost in the Prime Minister's relief fund while allowing their plea for placing on record some additional documents and list of some additional prosecution witnesses to be called for recording of their statement in the case.
"In view of all the above referred observations and discussions, the application of the prosecution is allowed only in the interest of justice," Special CBI Judge Ravinder Kaur said.

"On account of unwarranted conduct of the investigating agency and the prosecution, an exemplary cost of Rs 10,000 is imposed upon the CBI. The cost be deposited with PM relief fund and receipt of the same be produced in the court in 15 days," the judge said.
The order came on a CBI's plea to place on record some additional documents and calling around 30 more witnesses in the case.
The CBI, in its plea, had said that at the time of filing of the charge sheet in the case, certain documents collected or seized during the probe were not placed before the court due to "inadvertence".

It had said these documents and additional witnesses, whom they want to call, were important. The accused persons had opposed the agency's plea.

The court, in its order, said the CBI's approach in filing such applications from time to time is not appreciated.
"The approach of prosecution in moving applications from time to time for filing of additional documents and additional list of witnesses in piecemeal is not appreciated rather it is creating unnecessary confusion and delay in the proceedings," it said.
The court had earlier put Kalmadi and nine others on trial in the case and had invoked charges of criminal conspiracy, forgery, cheating and other offences against them entailing life imprisonment as maximum punishment.