SC Allows CBI's Request to Repatriate Naval Bajaj to Maharashtra Cadre Amid Coal Scam Probe

IPS officer Naval Bajaj, who led the CBI's coal scam probe, has been repatriated to his parent state Maharashtra. Ghanashyam Upadhyay will replace Bajaj as joint director. The Supreme Court approved the CBI's request, after ensuring continued trial of coal scam cases by special judges Arun Bhardwaj and Sanjay Bansal. The court also allowed the CBI to decide on Himanshu Bahuguna's voluntary retirement application.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday permitted the CBI to repatriate IPS officer and its Joint Director Naval Bajaj, who was dealing with the probe in coal scam cases, to his parent Maharashtra cadre.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra took note of the submissions of senior advocate and special public prosecutor R S Cheema that the officer has to be repatriated to his parent cadre.

Senior IPS officer Ghanashyam Upadhyay will succeed Bajaj as joint director of the probe agency, Cheema said.

Acceding to the request of CBI, the apex court permitted the relieving of the officer so as to facilitate his repatriation to his parent cadre.

The top court also permitted the central probe agency to decide on a pending application, seeking voluntary retirement from the service, of CBI officer Himanshu Bahuguna after taking note that it was pending since July 14, 2023.

The top court in 2014 had quashed 214 coal blocks allocated by the Centre between 1993 and 2010 after taking note of the PILs and had ordered trial by a special CBI judge.

Later on November 27, 2018, it had directed: ''We make it clear that no supervising officer or investigating officer should be transferred or removed without the leave of this Court.'' Earlier, the top court had decided to appoint two judicial officers, Arun Bhardwaj and Sanjay Bansal, as special judges to conduct trials in the sensational coal scam cases pending since 2014 here.

The two judges had replaced special judge Bharat Parashar who was holding trials in over 40 coal scam cases.

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