Supreme Court turns down Digvijay Singh's plea for CBI probe in MPPEB scam

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today refused to order CBI probe into the Madhya Pradesh professional examination board (MPPEB) scam in conducting entrance tests for admission to various colleges and jobs in the state and dismissed Congress leader Digvijay Singh's plea.

A bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu said that there is no need for CBI probe as investigation is being done by Special Task Force (STF) under the supervision of an SIT and being monitored by Madhya Pradesh High Court.

Senior lawyers including Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and K T S Tulsi pleaded for CBI probe, saying many influential people are involved in the scam and the STF would not be able to quiz the state leaders.

They also submitted that probe is not done in all cases arising out of the scam.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the state government, however, refuted the statement and said that STF is conducting probe in all 55 cases registered in the scam.

The court, after noting the statement of Rohatgi, said that there is no need for transferring the probe to CBI.

"First constitutional court(HC) is monitoring the case and we respect it," the bench said.

While rejecting a slew of PILs seeking a CBI probe into the scam, the Madhya Pradesh High Court had ordered setting up of SIT headed by a former High Court judge to supervise the investigation by the STF.