Madras HC raps CBI

The Madras High Court today took serious exception to CBI's charge sheet filed with regard to the February 19, 2009 clashes between advocates and police in the court premises here and asked whether the agency is acting as the spokesperson of the Tamil Nadu Police.
A Division Bench comprising Justices V Dhanapalan and C T Selvam, referred a petition seeking a SIT investigation into the 2009 clashes to the Acting Chief Justice to further form a three-member full bench and posed several questions to the CBI.
Observing that the CBI's counter virtually reflected the stand of the state police, the bench asked CBI whether it was acting like a spokesperson of the Tamil Nadu Police.

On the agency's charge sheet filed against five constables, it asked CBI counsel why only they had been named and also how they could be made responsible for the whole episode.
It further said that when the entire country expects CBI to be given independent powers, this was the time to prove the agency's power and held that CBI is the sole authority with sanctity.
It noted that several committees were formed by the High Court in which a judge of the present Bench was also part and then directed the registry to place the papers before the ACJ for further orders for formation of a full Bench.

It also sought to know how the agency could give a clean chit to state police officials.