Special judge O.P. Saini acquitted the accused in the 2G spectrum cases after a Supreme Court-monitored investigation ordered in the “larger public interest”on the basis of a request made by the then UPA government.
The court, on at least three occasions in its order dated September 3, 2013, recorded that it undertook to keep an eagle eye on the CBI probe. K.K. Venugopal, who represented the CBI in the Supreme Court and is the present Attorney-General of India, had argued in the court that the Centre had “virtually invited” the Supreme Court to intervene in the investigation.
Cause of justice
The court had also agreed that the allegations against the accused prima facie warranted its intervention to do justice. It had held that Article 21 of the Constitution demanded a “thorough” investigation and speedy trial.
“We are, prima facie, satisfied that the allegations contained in the writ petition and the affidavits filed before this Court, which are supported not only by the documents produced by them, but also the report of the Central Vigilance Commission, which was forwarded to the Director, CBI, on October 12, 2009 and the findings recorded by the CAG in the Performance Audit Report, need a thorough and impartial investigation,” the Supreme Court had recorded in its order.
The Supreme Court-appointed Special Public Prosecutor for 2G cases, senior advocate Anand Grover, on Thursday, agreed the Supreme Court had passed orders on the prima facie veracity of the allegations against the accused.
The apex court had backed the Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai’s work as the “most important officer under the Constitution of India.”
