Right of custodial interrogation or probe important to unearth truth: SC

The Supreme Court said on Monday the right of custodial interrogation or investigation is a very important right in favour of a probe agency to unearth the truth and no accused can be permitted to frustrate the judicial process by his conduct. The apex court said this in its judgement on an appeal filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the verdict of the Calcutta High Court in September last year ordering the release of an accused on statutory or default bail under section 167(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). A bench of Justices MR Shah and CT Ravikumar permitted the CBI to have the custody of the accused for four days on the ground that pursuant to an order of April 16, 2021 passed by the special judge the agency was granted the remand of the accused for seven days but it could interrogate him only for two-and-a-half days and failed to exercise the right of interrogation for the full period of seven days.