CHANDIGARH: Punjab and Haryana HC has made it clear that CBI cannot insist that the state govt deputes a particular officer for helping it in an investigation.
“The discretion to decide which officer is to be sent to assist CBI lies within the exclusive domain of the state,” a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Jagmohan Bansal said while hearing an application filed by the central probe agency.
Citing acute shortage of manpower, CBI, which is probing the ‘ghost students’ scam in Haryana – related to siphoning of funds by listing over 4 lakh non-existent students in various govt schools – has sought directions to be provided cops on deputation for the case.
CBI identified DSP Vijay Nehra, inspector Vijay, SIs Naresh Kumar, Naresh, Neeraj, Kuldeep and Rambir, posted at different places, to be deputed for helping it with the investigations. It has also demanded 10 constables to assist the probe officers.
After hearing CBI’s plea, the bench asked the agency’s counsel to supply copies of the application to the Haryana govt counsel, who was directed to respond on July 22, the next date of hearing.
CBI had taken up the investigation following HC directions in 2019. The fake admissions in state-run schools came up before the HC in May 2016 during the hearing of a case pertaining to surplus teachers in the state. It emerged that as against an enrolment of 22 lakh students in govt schools, only 18 lakh students were actually studying. The additional 4 lakh admissions were shown allegedly to get funds under various schemes.
“The discretion to decide which officer is to be sent to assist CBI lies within the exclusive domain of the state,” a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Jagmohan Bansal said while hearing an application filed by the central probe agency.
Citing acute shortage of manpower, CBI, which is probing the ‘ghost students’ scam in Haryana – related to siphoning of funds by listing over 4 lakh non-existent students in various govt schools – has sought directions to be provided cops on deputation for the case.
CBI identified DSP Vijay Nehra, inspector Vijay, SIs Naresh Kumar, Naresh, Neeraj, Kuldeep and Rambir, posted at different places, to be deputed for helping it with the investigations. It has also demanded 10 constables to assist the probe officers.
After hearing CBI’s plea, the bench asked the agency’s counsel to supply copies of the application to the Haryana govt counsel, who was directed to respond on July 22, the next date of hearing.
CBI had taken up the investigation following HC directions in 2019. The fake admissions in state-run schools came up before the HC in May 2016 during the hearing of a case pertaining to surplus teachers in the state. It emerged that as against an enrolment of 22 lakh students in govt schools, only 18 lakh students were actually studying. The additional 4 lakh admissions were shown allegedly to get funds under various schemes.