SC for ex-CBI officer to assist CVC probe against Ranjit Sinha

Former CBI Special Director M L Sharma today emerged as the first choice of the Supreme Court to assist the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) in its probe against Ranjit Sinha, who during his tenure as the agency chief, was accused of scuttling the probe in the coal block allocation scam.
The suggestion to rope in Sharma, subject to his consent, for inquiry against Sinha by the CVC came from a bench headed by Justice M B Lokur after anti-corruption watchdog said it did not have its own investigating arm.
The bench, which also comprised Justices Kurian Joseph and A K Sikri, on May 14 had admonished Sinha for his "completely inappropriate" meetings with coal scam accused in the absence of investigating officers (IOs) and had said "further inquiry is necessary" to ascertain the fairness and impact of his conduct in the coal scam probe.

The bench, which is monitoring the probe, had sought the CVC's assistance to determine the methodology for conducting such an inquiry on whether his meetings with the accused had any impact on the investigations, the subsequent charge sheets or closure reports filed by the CBI.
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi submitted that since the CVC did not have its own investigating arm, the investigators from the CBI and ED, who are not associated with coal cases, can be asked to assist the anti-corruption watchdog.
At this, the bench suggested the name of Sharma saying that he was an "outstanding officer" who enjoys "good reputation and can be asked to have officers, either in service or retired, on whom he has confidence to be in his team to assist the CVC.

"If Sharma has no objection, ask him to give 3 or 4 names of officers who can assist him," the bench told Rohatgi.
The Attorney General said he would speak to the former CBI officer and informed the bench about the outcome.
The bench said if Sharma did not agree with the assignment, the top law officer would suggest names of some others.