Supreme Court stays CBI probe against CM Rawat of Uttarakhand

(PTI) New Delhi, Ta. Thursday, October 29, 2020

The Supreme Court had stayed the ongoing CBI probe into allegations of corruption against Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, saying the Uttarakhand High Court had passed the dangerous order without hearing the case.

When Rawat was in charge of the BJP unit in Jharkhand, money was transferred to a relative's bank account in 2016 in the name of helping him in his appointment as head of the Govt. Service Commission, two journalists alleged.

A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan said many were shocked and shocked by the High Court's "drastic order" without hearing Chief Minister Rawat as journalists had never filed a complaint against Rawat. The state was not a party in the case and suddenly an FIR was ordered which took everyone by surprise, ”the bench said.

Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for Rawat, said an FIR could not be lodged without hearing a person like the Chief Minister in person. If this happens, the elected government will become unstable. An elected government cannot be overthrown in this way. The question is whether a large order can be placed in this way without listening to the person, ”said Venugopal.