HC may lift stay on CBI probe against 7 IPS officers

The Bombay high court on Thursday said it was inclined to vacate the stay on the CBI inquiry against seven officers, including ATS chief Rakesh Maria, in the Chitra Salunkhe case unless the officers prove they acted in a bonafide manner.

“If this is the way the police machinery works, it’s the most saddest moment,” said justice VM Kanade.

The court indicated that it would ask the CBI to go ahead with the inquiry against these officers for allegedly shielding fellow officer, KL Bishnoi. Chitra Salunkhe, former vice-principal of Siddarth Law College, filed a petition alleging that the 1985 batch IPS officer cleared his LLB examination with help from the then acting principal IA Inamdar.

Advocate general Darius Khambatta argued that a committee was set up under the chairmanship of retired HC judge KK Bam to probe into the allegations. “The committee report stated that the complainant did not have any credible points,” argued Khambatta.
Salunkhe told the division bench of justice Kanade and justice PD Kode that the committee report was rejected by the women’s commission. “As per the Supreme Court’s guidelines in the Vishakha case, the committee did not have a member from an NGO,” she said.

The judges expressed shock at the police officers’ attitude. “Things are getting murkier. Words are inadequate to express our shock from what Salunkhe has argued. It’s not only the question of our conscience, but of upholding the rights of a complainant.”