New Delhi, Oct 8: The Supreme Court deferred until Friday the hearing on a petition filed by the Punjab government seeking a stay on the High Court directive ordering a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into corruption allegations involving individuals linked to the state administration.
A bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Sheel Nagu adjourned the proceedings after the physical files failed to reach the bench on time. Justice Datta observed orally that the court would consider the matter the following day as the case papers had not reached his colleague in time.
Senior advocate Vikas Singh represented the Punjab government during the brief appearance.
The state government approached the top court following a decision by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on a plea submitted by advocate Nikhil Saraf.
The original petition alleged illicit transactions regarding public servant transfers and policy decisions, maintaining that inaction persisted despite communications sent by the Enforcement Directorate to the state government.
In its appeal, the Punjab government maintained that the High Court judgment contains significant legal errors. The state argued that the directive improperly treats information shared under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act as a mandate for FIR registration, contradicting established apex court precedents.
Furthermore, the petition asserted that ordering a central agency inquiry violates statutory requirements under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act and overrides the state’s withdrawal of general consent for CBI operations without establishing exceptional circumstances.
