Strengthening the campaign for justice in the Satyendra Dubey murder case, the Supreme Court on Friday admitted a PIL, filed few months after Dubey was killed in November 2003. The Bench of Justices B N Agarwal and PP Naolekar, however, refused to pass any interim directions dashing hopes of an early hearing of the petition.

Prashant Bhushan, counsel for the petitioner NGO, Parivartan, had sought interim directions pointing out that if only admitted, the petition will come up for hearing in “due course” which may take well over an year. Based on reports in The Indian Express, the NGO moved the apex court in February 2004, highlighting the urgent need for an effective legislation on the whistle-blower’s protection. It was on the basis of this petition that the apex court had pushed the government to commit to a law on this. The PIL was filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, seeking several directions like investigation into Dubey’s murder by an independent agency.