New Delhi: A court here has rejected Zee News Editor Sudhir Chaudhary’s plea that the Delhi Police be asked to conduct a lie detector test on Congress MP Naveen Jindal but allowed his prayer for preserving certain call detail records of four officials of Jindal Steel Power Ltd (JSPL).
While refusing to give direction to the investigators to conduct polygraphy test on Jindal, Additional Sessions Judge Daya Prakash observed that the court should “refrain from interfering” in the work of investigating agency.
‘The court, however, allowed Chaudhary’s contentions to preserve the call detail records of four officials of Jindal’s firm Jindal Steel Power Limited (JSPL) and has directed the service providers to preserve the details of their numbers for September 7, 23 and 24 last year respectively.
“Secondly, so far as conducting of lie detector test of Naveen Jindal is concerned, it is for the investigating officer to take necessary action as per law and as an when the situation arises. No direction can be given by the court to the investigating officer to conduct the lie detector test of Naveen Jindal,” the Judge said.
“The court should refrain from interfering in the work of the investigating agency as far as possible. Hence, prayer of revisionist/applicant/accused (Chaudhary) to issue directions to investigating officer (IO) to conduct lie detector test of Naveen Jindal is also rejected,” he said.
The court also rejected Chaudhary’s plea for a court monitored investigation in the case.
The order came on a revision petition filed by Chaudhary against a February 21 order passed by a magisterial court which had rejected the plea of Zee Group editors, Chaudhary and Zee Business Editor Samir Ahluwalia, for a court-monitored probe in the extortion case lodged against them.
Chaudhary and Ahluwalia were arrested on November 27, 2012 on a complaint by Jindal’s firm Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) which had alleged that they had demanded Rs 100 crore as an advertising deal for not airing negative news against the firm in connection with the coal block allocation scandal.
Chaudhary and Ahluwalia were granted bail on December 17, 2012 by the court. They have been booked under section 384 (extortion), 420 (cheating), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 511 (attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment) of the IPC.
While dismissing Chaudhary’s contentions regarding a court-monitored probe into the case, the sessions court said, “Usually, the court refrains from monitoring the investigation which is being done by investigating agency as,(otherwise) it will be interfering in the work of the investigating officer.”
“What has to be seen by the court is that investigation is being done properly or quickly particularly where the accused is in custody. Hence, prayer of the revisionist/ applicant/accused with respect to monitoring of the investigation by the court in the present case is rejected,” it said.
The judge allowed Chaudhary’s plea for preserving the call detail records of four JSPL officials — Ravi Muthreja, Sushil Maroo, Vivek Mittal and Rajeev Bhaduria –saying these can be used forthe purpose of defence by him.
