OP Galhotra recuses himself

The CBI on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that its joint director OP Galhotra has been shifted following allegations that he is related to Congress MP Naveen Jindal and was instrumental in closing several coal block related cases.

Appearing before the bench, the CBI counsel furnished a letter of the agency chief Ranjit Sinha that said Galhotra not only recused himself from the Jindal case but also from all coal block related cases and in his place, another senior officer RK Dutta has been given the task to supervise them.

Denying the allegation that Galhotra, a 1985 batch IPS officer, is related to Jindal, the counsel informed the court that the allegation was levelled against the senior officer without any basis and the investigation in all the cases have been done so far in a fair and impartial manner.

Dutta is a 1981 batch IPS officer from Karnataka who will supervise all such cases.

Seeking his removal from probe, petitioner NGO's counsel Prashant Bhushan alleged that Galhotra has conflict of interest and should not be associated with the cases.

On Wednesday, the apex court had directed CBI to file status report about the officer.