SC faults slow pace of probe, suggests change of CBI officer

New Delhi: A Supreme Court bench here on Monday ordered change of the investigating officer in the murder case of former MP and former minister Y S Vivekananda Reddy following 'very slow progress or no progress' in the case so far.

Dealing with the petition of an accused Shiv Shankar Reddy's (A5) wife Tulasamma, in the case, Justice M R Shah made some sharp comments on the progress of the case under the CBI. Tulasamma pleaded for change of the investigating officer as there was not much progress in the case.

Justice Shah observed that the case was progressing at a slow pace and asked the CBI how long the case would be investigated. The CBI had only been harping on 'political conspiracy' for long but could not bust the deep conspiracy in its status report submitted to the court in a sealed cover. The bench wondered that the conspiracy part of it was not sufficiently investigated.

The Justice, however, said that he had read the report fully and sought to know how long it would be stretched.

While ordering the handover of the case to a new official, the Justice however said that the incumbent official, Ram Singh, too would continue to be there in it.

Adjourning the case to April 10, the bench directed the investigating team to seek directions from the CBI director for faster probe. Similarly, no bail would be considered in it for now, the bench said.