By IANS
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Monday expressed displeasure over the tardy probe into allegations of irregularity in the urgent defence purchases worth Rs.20 billion made during the 1999 Kargil conflict and asked the central government to file a status report on the probe.
A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan also sought to know from the government what actions the defence ministry had taken against the officers who had approved the irregular deals.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the slow probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation since January this year, the bench, which also included Justice R.V. Raveendran, said: “The net result is that nothing has been done”.
Taking strong exception to the government’s failure in filing the status report detailing the progress into the probe despite its earlier order asking for it, the bench sternly asked the government to file the status.
The defence ministry had been ordered earlier to examine the 18 irregular cases of acquisition, referred to it by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, and to clarify its stand on whether it wanted to initiate criminal proceedings or departmental action in these cases.
Facing the bench’s barb, Attorney General Milon K. Banerjee retorted: “The action will be taken by the defence ministry as per the advice”.
He sought to explain the government’s inaction on the matter saying that even in the cases where the CBI felt that it was not of serious nature, the government felt otherwise.
Unimpressed by Banerjee’s explanation, the bench observed: “You decide whatever action can be taken”.
It subsequently adjourned the matter to Oct 8.
Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae, said the CBI had spent over two years in preliminary inquiry despite the CAG report indicating serious charges of irregularities and corruption.