The High Court of Karnataka on Thursday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit a report on the investigations carried out against Seemant Kumar Singh, Additional Director-General of Police (Anti-Corruption Bureau), in connection with his role in illegal mining cases as he had served as the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Ballari during 2010.
Justice H.P. Sandesh issued the direction after the State government counsel informed the court that the CBI had conducted searches at his residence and offices during 2013 in connection with the illegal mining cases but it had not made any recommendations against Mr. Singh and the seized materials were returned to him.
Service records summoned
The court, during an earlier hearing on July 4, had summoned Mr. Singh’s service records after pointing out that he and the ACB had failed to arraign J. Manjunath, then Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban district, in a bribery case despite having sufficient material, till the court found fault with their inaction.
The government counsel also pointed out that an inquiry report submitted by a senior officer of the government had reference to allegation of collection of bribe for the then SP of Ballari, the denial of such allegations by certain individuals.
Also, the court noted an observation in the report indicating that no in-depth inquiry was conducted into the role of the officers posted in Ballari during 2009-10.
Meanwhile, the court made it clear that the Superintendent of Police, CBI, will have to appear in person if the report of investigation carried out against Mr. Singh is not submitted to the court by next date of hearing on July 11.
Threat to judge
Mr. Justice Sandesh, during the hearing on July 4, had orally disclosed that there was a ‘threat’ after he questioned the functioning of the ACB while also questioning whether the ACB’s ADGP [Mr. Singh] was “so powerful”.
Mr. Justice Sandesh had said that another judge of the High Court came to him and told him that there was a threat from some person, who is said to have referred to an earlier incident of “transfer of a judge to another district”. Mr. Justice Sandesh had made these remarks while hearing a bail petition filed by Mahesh P.S., a deputy tahsildar, who has been arrested in the case of bribery allegation against the DC.
Singh files petition seeking expunging of remarks
Mr. Singh on Thursday filed a petition before the High Court seeking expunging of remarks made against him and for restraining the judge from either considering his service records or making any remarks against him.
Contending that “unwarranted and baseless” remarks made against him had caused a severe dent to his career, Mr. Singh said in the petition that the Bench could not have made such adverse remarks as he was neither a party to the petition nor the issue was related to his service.
“The petitioner has been condemned without being given any opportunity of being heard and has been declared as guilty without a trial,” it has been contended in the petition while arguing that the judge had traversed beyond the scope of bail petition.
