SC dismisses plea for SIT probe

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition seeking a probe by the Special Investigation Team into the alleged judicial corruption involving a blacklisted Lucknow medical college. Observing that the controversy has done damage to the institution, a three-bench judge of RK Agrawal, Arun Mishra and AM Khanwilkar rejected the petition filed by lawyer Kamini Jaiswal, insisting that the CBI’s FIR in connection with the case was not against any judge.

The apex court also stated that filing of the second petition while the first one was pending amounts to “forum shopping” and added that it also amounts to “contempt”.However, the top court spared petitioner counsel Prashant Bhushan of contempt action, saying that it hopes good will prevails. It also stated that proper verification of facts was not done while filing the petition and observed that: “Let’s unite in the interest of this great institution.”

On Monday, Attorney General of India K K Venugopal told the Supreme Court that developments in the wake of two petitions had “caused deep wounds on the judiciary and the Bar” and “will take a long time to heal”. The bench also remarked that “damage has already been caused… outcome does not matter… everyone is doubting this court unnecessarily”.

Referring to allegations in the CBI FIR that Justice Ishart Masroor Quddusi, a retired Orissa High Court judge arrested on September 21, had promised promoters of the Lucknow-based Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences, one of 46 medical colleges barred from admitting students for two years, to get their matter settled in the apex court through their contacts, Venugopal said “no evidence had been adduced to further Quddusi’s statement that money was collected to pay any judge”.

Quddusi along with five others, arrested in the case, were involved in deals to try and secure favourable orders from courts, claimed the CBI.