The Orissa High Court on Thursday extended the date of hearing on the petition demanding a CBI inquiry into the sunken cargo ship MV Black Rose in the Bay of Bengal to April 16.
The hearing of the case was held on Thursday and the counsel of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways deposed before the High Court. The HC wanted to seek information about the specific legal provisions on the basis of which the matter would be reinvestigated.
Sources said, during the hearing of the case, the HC also asked the petitioner why there was a need for a CBI investigation into the matter when it had already been investigated by the Crime Branch.
The petitioner sought more time to explain the need for the CBI probe and the HC said the next hearing of the case will be held on April 16.
Notably, two cases were filed with the HC in this connection. The HC had disposed of the cases. However later, another petition was filed by an RTI activist Pradeep Pradhan, seeking a CBI probe.
Earlier, the Shipping Corporation had written to the Union Home Ministry to allow a CBI probe into the sinking of Black Rose. The CBI had sought a No-Objection-Certificate (NOC) from the Odisha government to initiate a probe. The Union Home Ministry had sought a NOC from the Odisha government, but the latter allegedly sat on the letter for years delaying the probe.
Later, the RTI activist Pradhan filed another petition in the HC requesting the court to ask the Odisha government to provide the NOC at the earliest.
During the hearing, the Advocate General of the Odisha government raised several objections over Pradeep Pradhan himself. Odisha government argued that Pradhan has malicious intent and he also has multiple criminal cases pending against him. So, the court asked Pradhan to file an affidavit on all the allegations against him.
The High Court has also directed to send a copy of the affidavit to the Paradip Port, the Central Government counsel appearing for the opposite party and the counsel of the Odisha government.