The Delhi High Court, on Tuesday, dismissed as “premature” the plea of former Indian cricketers Kirti Azad, Bishan Singh Bedi and others seeking a court-monitored probe by the CBI or SIT into the alleged financial irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).
Refusing to entertain the petition, Justice Manmohan noted that CBI has already started a preliminary enquiry from October 23, 2015 and the agency needs to be given time to complete its investigation.
The judge also observed that a court-monitored probe or setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) is only done “in rarest of rare cases and not because a Union Minister is said to be involved.”
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Neeraj Kishan Kaul told the court that the petition was premature as CBI has been probing the alleged irregularities since October 2015 and, in that process, it has examined 18 witnesses till date.
This court is in agreement with ASG Neeraj Kishan Kaul that the petition is premature.Justice Manmohan
Kaul also told the court that documents were sought from the DDCA and other connected bodies which have provided some documents.
The ASG told the court that in a short span of three months, CBI cannot be expected to complete the investigation and file a chargesheet when the alleged irregularities pertain to the period from 2008 to 2014.
Azad, who is currently under suspension from the BJP, had been calling for a court-monitored probe into the DDCA affairs alleging that corruption has left the body in a bad state of affairs.
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