 "Sinha's lawyer claims non-disclosure of whistleblower's identity will damage trial")
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Ranjit Sinha's lawyer Vikas Singh on Monday said the non-disclosure of the identity of the whistleblower working in the CBI will damage the ongoing trial against his client and called the withholding of information an act of criminal contempt.
Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "That kind of leak will definitely damage the trial in the long run. My request to the court was that this is a case where not disclosing the name itself is criminal contempt because even under the Whistle Blowers Protection Act, the name and identity has to be disclosed before the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)."
"I said that before any order is passed I should be heard because according to me the continuation of these proceedings is ultimately going to adversely affect the trial because till these proceedings are pending in this court, people will come out coming with leaks because there are obviously people in the CBI who are supplying Bhushan with information on a daily basis and those are being selectively leaked in the media," Singh added.
Singh also said that advocate Dushyant Dave had appeared in court for Prashant Bhushan today. "Dave appeared in court for Bhushan and apologized for not placing the names of the whistle blower to the court. The court also wanted to hear the recently appointed public prosecutor Anand Grover's views on the matter," he said.
"However, the court was pressed for time could not give much of hearing today, but the bench has said that all my objections will be considered before any order is passed," he added.
Bhushan had earlier filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against Sinha, seeking his removal for allegedly compromising investigations into the 2G and Coal block cases. Bhushan further presented to the court a visitor's logbook of Sinha's Delhi residence as evidence to the claim that Sinha used to meet people associated with the scams during the investigation of the same.
He has also refused to reveal the whistle blower's name, citing danger to the source's life.