Muzaffarpur Shelter Home Case: Supreme Court Fines CBI Former Interim Director Nageshwar Rao For Contempt, Asks Him to Sit in Corner

They have unconditionally apologised and they have not done at this wilfully, the AG told the Supreme Court.

New Delhi: Coming down heavily on CBI former interim director Nageswara Rao, the Supreme Court on Tuesday held him guilty of contempt for transferring officer probing Muzaffarpur shelter home case.

The bench headed by Chief Justice of India also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh and directed Rao to “sit in one corner of the court till the court rises for the day”.

Appearing for the agency, Attorney General K K Venugopal, while accepting that a ‘series of mistakes’ had been made, pleaded that they had unconditionally apologised for the mistakes not made wilfully, reported ANI.

To that, CJI Gogoi said, “Contempt has been committed. So there will be a mark on his (Rao’s) career.”

Venugopal pleaded, “He has an unblemished track record of 32 years. Please kindly adopt a merciful approach as he has tendered apologies,” but the court was unrelenting.

Rao also appeared before the Supreme Court bench in compliance with an earlier order of the court.

On Monday, Rao had admitted that as interim chief of the CBI, he made a “mistake” in transferring former joint director A K Sharma investigating the case. He also apologised to the Supreme Court, saying he had no intention to circumvent its orders.

Last week, the Supreme Court had transferred the trial from Bihar’s Patna to the national capital’s Saket POCSO court. The top court also ordered the Delhi court to commence the trial within two weeks and ordered it to conclude the proceeding in six months’ time.

CJI Gogoi also wanted to know why the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officer probing the case, was transferred despite the SC’s order against it. “Was the Cabinet Committee which transferred him informed of Supreme Court embargo?” he asked, adding that it amounted to violation of its order.

“Enough is enough. We will ask Bihar Chief Secretary to appear before us. Get someone here who is conversed to what is happening in the state. You can’t let your officers treat unfortunate children like this. Spare the children,” the CJI had said.