New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday
refused to frame guidelines for protection of whistle blowers
in the country, saying that it cannot make law.
A three-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice SH
Kapadia refused to entertain a PIL seeking framing of
guidelines for giving statutory protection to whistle blowers
in the wake of the gruesome killing of Maharashtra Additional
Collector Yeshwant Sonanwane allegedly by an oil mafia.
The PIL by advocates, N Raja Raman and Ajay Mandyal,
cited a number of recent incidents in which whistle blowers
have been killed or intimidated by mafias and political
leaders to silence their voice against growing corruption in
the country.
But the court refused to pass any order, saying that
it was not possible to keep monitoring cases across the
country. It, however, allowed the petitioners to approach the
high court for protection of whistle blowers in a specific
case.
It also said that the court cannot ask the government
to pass legislation in this regard.
The petitioners had urged the apex court to direct the
Centre to frame a law to ensure that complaints of corruption
are dealt with promptly and whistle blowers like RTI
activists, journalists and advocates are given necessary
protection.
PTI
