“Nobody can put in our mouth what we are going to do. We are autonomous and independent of the government,” said the CBI counsel.
The CBI today asserted before the Supreme Court that the Centre cannot dictate what it should do as it is an autonomous body and disapproved of its stand that the probe agency will look into the controversial Finance Ministry note on 2G spectrum issue.
"CBI is autonomous of government and fully independent body. No one can put words in our mouth on what we are going to do," senior advocate KK Venugopal, appearing for the CBI, shot back while objecting to the Centre's stand on the Finance Ministry's note to the Prime Minister's Office(PMO) submitted to the Apex Court.
The government had last week submitted that the CBI would look into the note filed by Swamy and would mention its views in its status report in the Supreme Court. The note suggested that the 2G scam could have been averted had Home Minister P Chidambaram insisted on the auction route for the 2G spectrum when he was the finance minister.
The agency further said there is no need to look into the document as it was part of the voluminous material of over 500 pages which was considered by it.
Venugopal, who appeared to be agitated, was then calmed down by a bench comprising Justice GS Singhvi and Justice AK Ganguly, which said it got the answer from the CBI.
"You are saying that what has been put in Centre's reply is not what CBI is going to do," the bench said, adding "We got answer from the CBI that it won't go by what the Centre has said.
The CBI and Centre slammed some media reports suggesting that they were pleading in the apex court to save Chidambaram in the 2G case.
"When I started then Chidambaram was not in the case. He was in my office (as a lawyer) 40 years back. I should not be accused to defend other than my client (CBI)," Venugopal said while referring to suggestions alleging that he is trying to defend the home mnister in the case.
He said he came across a report in a section of media about senior BJP leader Yaswant Sinha making a statement that CBI was coming in defence of Chidambaram which is laughable.
"This means that CBI argument is stupid," Venugopal said adding that "the result of everyday hearing is that they (media) are having a field day".
"I do not have single doubt about it. The court would take cognisance and take action if required," the bench said.
Rao also accused the media of reporting the hearing with prejudice.
"The kind of things coming out in media is prejudicial to fair trial," he said and even questioned the PIL on the issue on which the apex court has been monitoring the investigation of the case.
"The PIL is much more than the public interest litigation,"he said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}