A bench of justices H L Dattu and C K Prasad refused to direct the Centre to initiate the criminal proceedings against the persons who were allegedly involved in the irregularities.
"We are satisfied that NTRO is taking steps to correct the mistakes which were pointed out by the CAG," the bench said
"The process (of initiating criminal case) may take time. We should not step in to say that criminal proceedings be initiated. We should leave it to the organisation to clean its house. We have our own limitation. The organisation is not quiet and taking steps," the bench said.
It also declined to direct the government to have NTRO's annual audit by CAG saying such plea were not made in the original petition.
It, however, gave liberty to the petitioner V K Mittal, a scientist who had voluntarily retired as officer on special duty (OSD) from NTRO, to approach appropriate forum for annual audit of the organisation and for direction to the Centre to place CAG report before the Parliament.
Mittal had sought the court's direction to the Centre to produce all the reports relating to NTRO, namely the CVC inquiry report, the report of a one-member panel's inquiry done at the behest of the PMO as well as a special audit report of the CAG before the apex court.
NTRO was created by the government in 2004 under the Prime Minister's Office essentially to deal with missile monitoring, satellite and airborne imagery, cyber patrolling and security, cyber offensive operations, communication support systems as well as cryptology.
Mittal had moved the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court's order which had in April disposed his petition after the Centre said the departmental proceedings have been begun against the erring officers who committed the alleged administrative and financial irregularities causing a loss to the public exchequer.
