Giving rest the all speculation, the Supreme Court today restrained the HP high court from hearing chief minister Virbhadra Singh’s petition in the disproportionate assets case and transferred it to the Delhi high court.
The apex court passed the order after CBI questioned the impartiality of a judge who had stopped the CBI from arresting the chief minister in connection with the case.
The apex court bench said it was not expressing any opinion on the merits of the case but simply transferring the petition to the Delhi High Court in the interest of justice and to save the institution from any embarrassment.
The court also ordered deletion of allegations and counter allegations made by either parties against the high court judge and the counsel representing the CBI in the case.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Virbhadra Singh, opposed the transfer saying it would send a wrong message that the state High Court is not fit enough to hear this case. However, bench rejected the submissions and said it would not deal with any aspect of the matter and simply refer it to Delhi High Court by invoking its extraordinary constitutional authority in the interests of justice.
Earlier, the apex court had sought responses from Virbhadra Singh and others on two petitions filed by CBI against the High Court order granting protection from arrest and other relief to him and his wife in the case.
The bench also hasn’t granted interim stay on the HP High Court order which had restrained CBI from arresting HP Chief Minister and his wife in the DA case but had allowed the enquiry in the matter to proceed.
