Overview

• The three-judge bench led by Chief Justice B. R. Gavai on September 26 granted interim relief to the CBI Director by pausing the High Court’s ruling.
• The Andhra Pradesh High Court had held that J. Venkat Rao, not named in the Supreme Court‑constituted SIT, could not act in the investigation and said the CBI Director overreached the apex court’s directions.
• During the hearing, the Chief Justice remarked that assigning tasks to a subordinate officer under the SIT’s control may be permissible and questioned whether the SIT had abdicated its role.
• Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said Rao was functioning only as a record keeper under supervision, while the petitioner’s counsel alleged coercion and videotaped ‘scripted’ statements; the Chief Justice advised filing a formal complaint.
• The Supreme Court asked the respondent to file a counter to the Special Leave Petition, and the probe continues under CBI oversight with the SIT structure set by the court in 2024.