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The impugned direction to CBI was issued in a PIL, which was a suo moto cognizance taken on the basis of a newspaper report on the exploitation of girl students by the administrator
The Supreme Court today has relieved Central Bureau of Investigation from carrying out the search of an absconding convict as directed by the Manipur High Court.
A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh passed this order in an appeal filed by CBI seeking to be relieved of a direction to apprehend an absconding accused and produce him before the court. The accused was convicted under POCSO.
CBI's counsel told court today that it had submitted before the High Court that the CBI was an investigating agency, and this was not its role.
"CBI told High Court that this direction would be difficult for them to comply with, but said submission was not accepted by the High Court and further 8 weeks was granted to trace the absconding convict and produce him before court", the top court noted.
The Standing counsel for state of Manipur submitted before court that a Special Team had been constituted to trace the absconding convict.
Hearing this, the top court went on to order, "CBI may be relieved of its obligation and a request is made for necessary assistance to the Special team. We find this request to be genuine, particularly when state government has constituted a special team. We find the direction issued to the CBI to be unnecessary. Thus, it is set aside.".
Court has further asked the special team constituted by the state government to make all endeavors to trace the absconding convict. Necessary assistance be given from the Union to comply with the High Court's orders, the top court has added.
Case Title: CBI vs. State of Manipur
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