Former Supreme Court judge A. K. Patnaik on Monday said he has called for some more information from Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Intelligence Bureau (IB), and the Delhi Police, to find the truth behind the allegations of a “larger conspiracy” to frame the Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi.
Justice Patnaik was appointed by the Supreme Court to hold an inquiry into the sensational allegations, including the fixing of Benches, after a lawyer claimed that a larger conspiracy was at work in the apex court. Utsav Singh Bains had made the allegations when the apex court was hearing the sexual harassment charges against the CJI, in which the three-member in-house inquiry committee did not find any substance.
When contacted, Justice Patnaik told the PTI over phone from Cuttack, Odisha, that the inquiry is likely to take some more time.
While ruling out the possibility of submitting the report by July, the retired apex court judge said he has gone through the documents already supplied to him, but to find clues, he needs more documents.
Justice Patnaik said he is on vacation at his home town and will recommence the work of inquiry on returning to Delhi in July.
“I will have to call for some more material from all the three — CBI, IB and Delhi Police Commissioner — as, after going through the material received by them, I think some more material is required,” he said.
“I can’t disclose everything to media. I am supposed to submit the report in a sealed cover. If I start disclosing everything, all the witnesses will be removed,” he said.
“We have to find the truth. Unless I find out what is the truth, I can’t give the report. The report will take some time,” he said, adding that there was a need for giving more time to completing the task, and no time frame can be given for it.