Chief Justice orders probe against judges in PF scam

WITH CAUTION: The CJI expressed his reservations on police interrogating SC and HC judges.

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New Delhi: Months after a provident fund scam involving judges of the Supreme Court, High Courts and district courts was uncovered in Ghaziabad, the Chief Justice of India has given a go ahead for an investigation.

Judges are no longer holy cows as 36 judges of the Supreme Court, High Courts and Ghaziabad district courts are now in the dock.

They are accused of receiving gifts purchased from money embezzled from the Ghaziabad district court treasury between 2002 and 2007.

Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan has given his green signal to an investigation into the scam by the police on the basis of an FIR.

"In the case a notice was issued to the State of UP and to the police authorities in order to find out what is the status of the case," lawyer Prashant Bhushan said.

Lawyers from Ghaziabad court wanted the case to be investigated by a special investigation team headed by a retired police officer.

But a three-judge bench of the SC presided by the Chief Justice of India rejected the demand on Thursday.

Justice Balakrishnan said, "It is a criminal case to be investigated under Criminal Procedure Code and it should be investigated by the police. The case has been registered and cognizance has been taken. This is a criminal case with serious ramifications."

While the CJI had no problems with police questioning lower court judges he expressed his reservations on the same treatment being given to Supreme and High Court judges

By initiating an inquiry into the PF scam the Chef Justice of India has accepted that something is wrong with the judicial system in the country.

The real question is that if an investigation has been ordered into the scam it must be done by an agency that enjoys public confidence.