desk
Share
News Topical, Digital Desk : The Supreme Court on Monday condemned the practice of influential persons directly approaching it for relief in criminal cases.
The court asked former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and his son Chaitanya Baghel to approach the High Court in connection with the investigation being conducted by central investigating agencies.
'Why didn't you go to the High Court?'
These cases are related to the alleged liquor scam in Chhattisgarh and other cases. A bench of Justices Suryakant and Jaymalya Bagchi asked why the apex court should consider their petitions against the FIR, arrest and remand and the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)?
The bench asked, “Why did the petitioners not go to the High Court. It is also a constitutional court and can give a verdict on this issue. This is the problem we are facing. Why can't the High Court decide on this issue, otherwise what is the use of those courts?”
This is a new trend, when a rich person approaches the Supreme Court, we start changing our stance. If this continues, there will be no place left in the Supreme Court for common people and their ordinary lawyers.
What are the arguments of Bhupesh Baghel?
Bhupesh Baghel and Chaitanya Baghel had filed separate petitions in the apex court challenging the punitive action of the investigating agencies and the provisions of PMLA.
Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the petitioners, said that arrests are happening all over the country. Investigative agencies like the ED are filing charge sheets in pieces and arresting everyone by implicating anyone.
Sibal, appearing for the former chief minister, said that this cannot go on. People are not named in the FIR or the initial chargesheet, but suddenly their names appear in the supplementary chargesheet and they are arrested.
Singhvi, who appeared for Baghel's son, said his client's name was not in two-three chargesheets. But his house was suddenly raided in March and he was later arrested after his name appeared in a supplementary chargesheet.
--Advertisement--
