The Supreme Court today decided to keep alive the contempt petition filed against CBI director Vijay Shanker and DIG Harbhajan Ram, on the allegation that the agency had consistently misled it over the extradition proceedings initiated against Bofors pay-off accused Ottavio Quattrocchi.

“We are not disposing. We will see whether you have committed contempt of court,” the Bench of Justices C K Thakker and V S Sirpurkar observed while rejecting Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Gopal Subramaniam's plea for disposing of the petition.

The ASG sought disposal of the contempt petition filed by advocate Ajay Agrawal after explaining the steps taken by the CBI in seeking the extradition of Quattrocchi from Argentina. However, the Bench adjourned the hearing by four weeks after the ASG said that an Argentine court would hear on March 23 the Indian Government’s request for Quattrocchi’s extradition.

Fresh petition for initiating contempt proceedings was filed yesterday by Agrawal, who submitted that the agency had filed misleading affidavits in the Court despite being aware of Quattrocchi’s arrest and subsequent release on bail by an Argentine court.

The applicant, during the arguments, submitted that the CBI had committed contempt by deliberately witholding the information of Quattrocchi’s detention in Argentina.