High Court Asks Cbi to Expedite Probe against Mose Ministries

The Hindu
December 3, 2016

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/High-Court-asks-CBI-to-expedite-probe-against-Mose-Ministries/article16733733.ece

Says the right to a fair trial cannot be separated from the right to a speedy trial

Observing that the right of an accused to fair trial includes the right to speedy trial also, the Madras High Court Bench here on Wednesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to expedite the probe into the affairs of an unregistered home for girls run by Pastor Gideon Jacob of Tiruchi-based Mose Ministries. The CBI should file its final report before the jurisdictional court, preferably within nine months.

Disposing of a public interest litigation petition filed by an NGO accusing the pastor of running an unauthorised home, Justices S. Nagamuthu and M.V. Muralidaran ordered the CBI Director to entrust the case to a women officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police.

This was necessary as the charges included trafficking and sexual abuse of girls.

The judges rejected the CBI special prosecutor’s request to permit the existing investigating officer to continue with the assistance of a woman officer.