Delay in filing appeals: CBI DG to appear before HC today

Kolkata: The Director-General (DG) of CBI Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, on Wednesday, will appear before the Calcutta High Court to explain the delays by the Central agency in filing appeals in cases probed by it.

Jaiswal will appear before the Court of Justice Bibek Chaudhuri virtually.

While hearing a case on April 6, Justice Chaudhuri found that there was an inordinate delay in filing appeals after the expiry of the limitation period.

"Specific timeline was fixed for each of the officers of the CBI within which the order is to be passed and then sent to the next officer in the hierarchy. Undoubtedly the officers of CBI sitting in the higher echelon of the department have failed to follow the guideline," Justice Chaudhuri had said.

As reported, the Court had then proposed that the CBI manual should be amended giving power to the 'Additional Solicitor General' to give an opinion regarding appeals. The high court observed that the ACG being a legal person will be able to give an opinion better than the DG CBI who is a police personnel.

"This Court sincerely believes that the above arrangement, if incorporated, the CBI will be able to file appeals before the court within the period of limitation, failing which there may be high chances that the appeals filed by the CBI may be dismissed on the ground of limitation," the Court had observed.

On May 11 when the matter came up for hearing the Court found that the presence of the DG is needed to explain the matter.