CBI row: SC holds Rao guilty of contempt, asks him to sit in a corner

Apex court also imposes Rs 1 lakh fine each on the then acting CBI director and agency's legal advisor S Bhasuram

In a punishment reminiscent of a classroom rebuke, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered then acting CBI Director M Nageswara Rao and agency's legal advisor S Bhasuram to sit in the courtroom till the rising of the court after holding them guilty of its contempt. The apex court also imposed a fine of '1 lakh on each of them.

It held them guilty of its contempt for wilfully disobeying its order by transferring CBI Joint Director A K Sharma, who was probing the Bihar shelter home sexual assault cases, as additional director general of CRPF on January 17.

"In our considered view, it is a case where contempt has been committed by both the then acting CBI Director, M N Rao, and the director prosecution (of the agency)," a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi said.

Holding them guilty of contempt of court, the bench, comprising justices L N Rao and Sanjiv Khanna, said, "We could not have done anything else." It said, "We have heard Rao and Bhasuram for commission of contempt of court and we impose one lakh fine and sentence them till the rising of the court".

"Go to one corner of the court and sit down till the rising of this court," the CJI said. Before passing the order, the bench told Rao and Bhasuram they have been held guilty of contempt of court and it was not accepting the unconditional and unqualified apology tendered by them.

HC dismisses PIL over transfer orders
The Delhi HC on Tuesday dismissed a PIL seeking a direction to CBI to indicate the status of transfer orders issued by the agency's ex-interim director M Nageswara Rao to officers of various ranks including an SP.

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