NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has directed the CBI to initiate prosecution of all Enforcement Directorate officers responsible for the custodial death of Delhi businessman Sawinder Singh.
A full bench comprising Justice Kuldeep Singh Justice P.B.Sawant and Justice Kalsiwal also awarded an interim ex-gratia compensation of Rs 2 lakh to be paid by the Central Government or the Directorate to the widow of Sawinder Singh The amount is to be deposited with the registry of the apex court within three months.
Following a request from the widows counsels K.K.Luthra and O.P.Malviya the court granted her permission to withdraw the complete amount. The judges also stated in their order that the compensation is ex-gratia and will not prejudice a civil suit filed for compensation.
The bench directed the CBI to register a case against the officers on the basis of the inquiry report. Sawinder Singh died in mysterious circumstances while in custody of the Directorate officers on February 28 this year.
While the Directorate officials maintained he had jumped from the sixth floor of the DOE office in Lok Nayak Bhavan Sawinders relatives alleged he had been tortured to death.
The Supreme Court on the basis of newspaper reports took suomotu cognizance of the incident and on March 5 directed the Union of India to file an affidavit before March 13 disclosing the facts leading to Sawinder death.
Deputy Director Enforcement Directorate Delhi Zonal Office Lok Nayak Bhavan A.P.Nanday filed the affidavit.
The Supreme Court investigations were required to probe the circumstances disclosed in the affidavit filed by Nanday.
On March 13 the apex court directed District and Sessions Judge Delhi to nominate an Additional Sessions Judge to inquire into the circumstances leading to the businessman’s death.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 6, 1992
