New Delhi, August 24: The Supreme Court today declined to interfere with the Delhi High Cour order refusing to quash the charges against three persons, including a former Vice Chairman of the Delhi Development Authority, in a case relating to land scam lodged by CBI in 2003.
“We will not interfere. How many times trial court proceedings can be stayed?” a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices P Sathasivam and B S Chauhan said while dismissing the petitions filed by DDA’s former Vice Chairman Subhash Sharma, Jagdish Chander (former Land Commissioner and middleman Viond Khatri.
The three are facing corruption charges relating to construction of hotel on enchroached land.
Declining their appeal against the High Court order, the Bench said “we are satisfied with the trial court order which is correct”.
“We will not entertain the appeal,” the Bench said when senior advocate Mulkul Rohatgi and Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for the accused, said the order on framing of charges could be challenged at any stage of the trial.
They had submitted that the accused were not seeking stay of the trial and only raising questions of law as different High Courts have given varied views on the issue whether order of framing of charges is final or interlocutory.
However, Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium opposed their contentions saying the law was settled on the issue and order of framing of charges is interlocutory and no revision can be filed against it.
—Agencies