File report on delay in trial, HC tells CBI Special Court

Chandigarh, July 27

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has sought a report from the UT CBI Special Court for reasons behind a delay in concluding a trial in a decade-old case. The matter is connected to a former Chief Parliamentary Secretary.

As the suo motu case, “In re: Special Courts for MPs/MLAs for monitoring the progress of matters pending against MPs/MLAs” came up for resumed hearing, CBI senior standing counsel Sumeet Goel referred to the reply, dated July 27, filed by the CBI special crime branch, Chandigarh. He also made a particular reference to an FIR, dated May 4, 2011, registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

Taking up the matter, the Bench of Justice Rajan Gupta and Justice Karamjit Singh added that according to Goel, the trial in the case was pending in the Special Court, Chandigarh. However, it had not made any headway despite being at the stage of culmination. “A report be sought from the Special Court, CBI, Chandigarh, regarding the reasons for the delay in concluding the trial,” the Bench asserted. — TNS