Overview

• The three‑judge bench led by Chief Justice B. R. Gavai paused the High Court order that had barred an officer not named in the SIT from assisting the investigation.
• The court observed there was nothing improper if the SIT tasked another officer while the probe remained under the CBI Director’s oversight.
• Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the officer, J. Venkat Rao, was functioning only as a record keeper, a characterization disputed by the respondent’s counsel.
• The High Court’s earlier order arose from a plea by Kaduru Chinnappanna, who alleged Rao coerced him into videotaped, scripted statements despite not being in the SIT.
• In October 2024 the Supreme Court had set up the five‑member SIT with nominees from the CBI, Andhra Pradesh Police and FSSAI, and it has now directed the respondent to file a counter as the matter remains sub judice.