The Madhya Pradesh High Court has quashed an order that kept contractors inside a criminal investigation despite a closure report and no fresh material connecting them to cheating, conspiracy or corruption.
The Special Judge had rejected the closure report and directed further investigation. The High Court found that the impugned order identified no dishonest intention, deception, agreement to commit an unlawful act or conscious participation by the petitioners. Their status as contractors or suppliers could not convert departmental procurement lapses into criminal misconduct.
The Court reaffirmed that a judge may reject a closure report and require further investigation where circumstances justify it, but cannot compel investigators to produce a chargesheet reflecting the court’s preferred view. The order and consequential proceedings against the petitioners were set aside. The ruling preserves judicial supervision while leaving the evidentiary conclusion of an investigation with the investigating agency.
