This Article is From Oct 20, 2009

Judges' scam: Supreme Court steps in

Judges' scam: Supreme Court steps in
New Delhi: Supreme Court on Monday intervened in the sudden death of the prime accused in the Provident Fund scam, Ashutosh Asthana.

The apex court has directed Magisterial enquiry to probe the mysterious death and submit the report within eight weeks to the Supreme Court. Asthana died in Dasna Jail in Ghaziabad on October 17.

How did this man, the main accused in a multi-crore provident fund scam allegedly involving judges, die so suddenly?

The Supreme Court has now stepped in to find out.

The court has ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to hand over Ashutosh Asthana's viscera to the CBI for examination at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi.

"Magistrate will conduct enquiry into the death of Asthana because as per Criminal Procedure Code, magistrate has to conduct enquiry. Court has said if they are not satisfied with the enquiry, they will decide further course of action," said K C Kaushik, lawyer for petitioner.

Asthana, an employee of the Ghaziabad Treasury had named 36 Judges, including a Supreme Court judge, as beneficiaries of money siphoned off from provident Funds of the treasury, a case first exposed by NDTV.

"The visceral remains will be examined in AIIMS, so there is no need for the remains to go to Agra. As the case is in the custody of AIIMS and the CBI, I am sure I will get a correct report," said Sireesh Asthana, Ashutosh Asthana's brother.

Supreme Court has also directed Mayawati government to provide adequate security to witnesses and accused in the case.

Supreme Court is very much concerned with the mysterious death of the prime accused in the PF scam involving judiciary. Now everything depends on the result of chemical examination of viscera of Asthana.
.