New Delhi, July 11
Punjab BJP leader Jagjit Singh on Monday withdrew his petition seeking a CBI probe into the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, saying the state police were taking care of it.
“We wanted a CBI probe, but the Punjab Police are taking steps. So we don’t want a central agency probe any longer. We are not pressing for it,” BJP leader’s counsel Namit Saxena told the top court.
Accepting Saxena’s request to allow him to withdraw the petition, a Bench led by Justice Ajay Rastogi said such issues shouldn’t be given political colour. The petition was accordingly “dismissed as withdrawn”.
Alleging the involvement of inter-state and international gangsters in Moosewala’s murder, Jagjit Singh had moved the Supreme Court on June 3 seeking a CBI probe.
“The accused have fled to various states and it would be in the interest of justice if the present FIR is transferred to a central agency,” he had demanded.
The state administration had not only “miserably failed” in preventing the crime, but also the gang wars that had created “a storm of fear and terror” in Punjab, he had alleged.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Government told the SC that the state police wanted to investigate the conspiracy by alleged gangster Lawrence Bishnoi with an accused in a foreign country in the Moosewala murder case.
“We want to investigate the conspiracy where he is in touch with the shooter who is in foreign,” senior counsel AM Singhvi told the Bench on behalf of the Punjab Government during hearing of a petition by Lawrence Bishnoi’s father challenging the transit remand order by a Delhi court for the production of his son in Mansa court. The Bench said it will take up the matter on July 18. — TNS
BJP leader withdraws plea in SC seeking CBI inquiry
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