Emaar: CBI’s plea rejected

The special CBI court on Friday rejected the request of the Central Bureau of Investigation for direction  to the competent authority (central government) to process its request for sanction to prosecute public servants, saying that there was no procedure to give such a direction.

While rejecting the CBI’s plea, the court extended the judicial remand of two accused in the Emaar case— IAS officer BP Acharya and Stylish Homes former director Koneru Prasad— till March 16.

The counsels for Acharya and Prasad took exception to the meeting of CBI joint director VV Lakhsminarayana, CBI’s public prosecutors and the judge in the latter’s chambers before the proceedings. After being asked by the court to show the provision of law that allows the court to keep a public servant, charged with offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, in judicial remand without sanction from the Centre, the CBI submitted a memo to the court on Friday.
“It is prayed that the honourable court be pleaded to direct the competent authority to process the request of the CBI in respect of sanction of prosecution expeditiously in the interest of justice,’’ the CBI memo said.

BP Acharya and Koneru Prasad were produced before CBI court judge B Naga Maruti Sharma through video conferencing. Their counsels took exception to the CBI not giving them a copy of the memo and said the CBI was dealing with the case in an unfair way. After the judge gave them a copy of the memo, they argued as to how the investigation agency can ask the court to expedite the process.

The counsels of the accused also took exception to the meeting between the judge and the CBI.

Justice Naga Maruti Sharma, however, contended that it was he who had called them inside his chambers. “Even you are also allowed to come. I called you but you didn’t come,’’ the judge said and assured them that he would do anything to protect the image of the court.