In Brief
A civil engineer posted a viral picture criticizing Maharashtra's Cabinet Minister on Facebook. He was allegedly beaten and forced to apologize. Despite naming the Minister in his police complaint, the investigation excluded him and was conducted in a perfunctory manner until the High Court intervened. The Supreme Court held that constitutional courts can order further investigation even after chargesheet filing and charge framing if fair investigation is compromised. While refusing CBI transfer, the Court set aside the High Court's refusal to permit further investigation and directed the State police to conduct further investigation, emphasizing that fair trial requires fair investigation.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.