CBI objects to Centre's stand on 2G probe

New Delhi, Sep 27 (PTI) CBI today stoutly objected in the

Supreme Court to the Centre's stand that the agency will look

into the Finance Ministry note on 2G issue which suggested the

spectrum scam could have been averted had Home Minister P

Chidambaram insisted on the auction route.

Senior advocate K K Venugopal, appearing for the CBI,

contended that the Centre cannot dictate what the probe agency

should do as it is an autonomous body.

"CBI is autonomous of government and fully independent

body. No one can put words in our mouth on what we are going

to do," Venugopal said disapproving of the Centre's stand on

CBI in connection to the Finance Ministry's note to the Prime

Minister's Office(PMO) submitted to the Apex Court.

Janata party leader Subramanian Swamy had submitted the

note as part of fresh documents last week while pleading for a

CBI probe into the alleged role of Chidambaram in the 2G

spectrum allocation issue when he was the Finance Minister.

The Government had last week submitted that the CBI

would naturally study the note filed by Swamy and would

mention its views in its status report in the Supreme Court.

The agency further said there is no need to look into the

document as it was part of the voluminous material of over 500

pages which was considered by it.

Venugopal, who appeared to be agitated, was then calmed

down by a bench comprising Justices G S Singhvi and A K

Ganguly, which said it got the answer from the CBI.

"You are saying that what has been put in Centre's reply

is not what CBI is going to do," the bench said, adding "We

got answer from the CBI that it won't go by what the Centre

has said.
The CBI and Centre slammed some media reports
suggesting that they were pleading in the apex court to save
Chidambaram in the 2G case.
"When I started then Chidambaram was not in the case. He
was in my office (as a lawyer) 40 years back. I should not be
accused to defend other than my client (CBI)," Venugopal said
while referring to suggestions alleging that he is trying to
defend the Home MInister in the case.
He said he came across a report in a section of media
about senior BJP leader Yaswant Sinha making a statement that
CBI was coming in defence of Chidambaram which is laughable.
"This means that CBI argument is stupid," Venugopal said
adding that "the result of everyday hearing is that they
(media) are having a field day".
"I do not have single doubt about it. The court would
take cognisance and take action if required," the bench said.
Rao also accused the media of reporting the hearing with
prejudice.
"The kind of things coming out in media is prejudicial to
fair trial," he said and even questioned the PIL on the issue
on which the apex court has been monitoring the investigation
of the case.
"The PIL is much more than the public interest
litigation,"he said.