New Delhi, April 05:
The Supreme Court refused to hear a petition filed by 14 parties, led by the Congress, alleging arbitrary use of central investigation agencies against opposition leaders and seeking future guidance.
A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice J B Pardiwala stated that “laying down general guidelines without regard to the facts of a case will be dangerous.”
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi called the joint petition for an urgent hearing on March 24.
According to the plea, there has been an alarming increase in the use of coercive criminal processes against opposition political leaders and other citizens exercising their fundamental right to dissent.
“I'm looking for future guidelines.” “This is a remarkable convergence of 14 parties against the misuse of the agencies, both CBI and ED,” Singhvi said, claiming that 95% of CBI and ED cases are against opposition party leaders.
Singhvi mentioned the increase in the number of cases filed by the CBI and ED since the NDA government took power in 2014. The Supreme Court granted the petition and agreed to hear it on April 5.
“When political parties argue that CBI/ED cases against opposition leaders are chilling the opposition, the answer lies in the political space, not in the courts,” it said.
“At this stage, learned counsel requests permission to withdraw the plea.” “As a result, the petition is dismissed as withdrawn,” the bench ruled.
“Please come back to us when you have a single or group of criminal cases,” the bench said.
Sensing the Supreme Court's reluctance to hear the petition, senior advocate A M Sighvi, representing the political parties, requested permission to withdraw the petition.
14 parties, including the Congress, DMK, RJD, BRS, Trinamool Congress, AAP, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), JMM, JD(U), CPI(M), CPI, Samajwadi Party, and the J-K National Conference, petitioned the Supreme Court last month, alleging misuse of central probe agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
