The High Court on Tuesday ordered IPS officer Soumendhu Mukherjee, head of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the alleged sex-for-work CD case involving former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, to give appropriate orders on the report prepared by the Investigation Officer (IO).

A division bench, headed by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, extended the interim order banning SIT from submitting the final report to the magistrate.

Appearing for the victim, senior lawyer Indira Jaising reiterated her argument that the constitution of the SIT did not fall under the purview of the CrPC.

She said the progress report, submitted to the court in a sealed envelope, was not signed by the head of SIT. The SIT chief had been on sick leave for three months and even after resuming his duties, he did not validate the investigation carried out during his absence, said Indira Jaising.

The judiciary reviewed the report submitted by SIT and found that it was signed by Joint Police Commissioner Sandeep Patil and not by Additional Police Commissioner Soumendhu Mukherjee, Head of SIT.

“We are of the opinion that once the SIT was constituted, which was headed by the additional police commissioner, Mr. Soumendhu Mukherjee (IPS), the report prepared by MC Kavita ACP should have been submitted to the head of the SIT and it been approved by the SIT manager. That this report be submitted to the head of SIT for its proper order. The report can then be submitted to the court under seal at the following date, ”the court said while adjourning the hearing of the case to November 29.

The woman had requested a judicial inquiry into her complaint against Ramesh Jarkiholi. She argued that the SIT did not conduct the investigation fairly. She alleged that the SIT was formed on the basis of a letter from the then Minister of the Interior, Basavaraj Bommai, to the town’s police commissioner. This letter from the Minister of the Interior was based on the request of Ramesh Jarkiholi.

Check Out the Latest DH Videos Here