Cuttack, June 22: The Orissa High Court has expressed disapproval over the conduct of senior IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi, who has been under CBI scanner over his alleged link with a senior officer of a central PSU arrested in a Rs 10-lakh bribery case in December last year.
The court reprimanded Sethi while dismissing his writ petition, seeking quashing of the ongoing CBI probe & criticized the petitioners for bypassing ordinary legal remedies calling it forum shopping and a sign of impatience with due process.
As a senior IAS officer, petitioner 1 (Bishnupada Sethi) is expected to set a high example in upholding the law. The court is constrained to note its disapproval of the petitioner’s attempt to invoke the extraordinary writ jurisdiction in the midst of an investigation, without exhausting the ordinary processes provided under law,” Justice SK Panigrahi noted.
The HC further stated that extraordinary writ powers cannot be misused as a shield against legitimate inquiries, regardless of the petitioners’ positions. They should have cooperated with the investigation or approached the proper legal forums first. Misuse of this jurisdiction led to a waste of precious judicial time.”
The court then dismissed Sethi’s petition saying it was devoid of merit. The petition is dismissed as premature and not maintainable, the investigation being at an ongoing stage. The CBI is at liberty to continue its investigation in accordance with law, without any interference from this court & the reliefs sought by the petitioners to interdict or quash the FIR/investigation are refused.
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