Three years after a sting operation was carried out by a private news channel purportedly seeking to expose corruption in lower judiciary, the Supreme Court on Wednesday sought to know why action should not be taken against the channel and the reporter.

“We are strongly of the view that the person should be prosecuted,” remarked Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan, heading the three-judge Bench today as notices were directed to be served by the CBI.

In 2004, Zee News reporter Vijay Shekhar had carried out a sting operation, showing how fake bailable warrants could be procured in consideration of a hefty amount paid to the court. The sting operation had shown four such bailable warrants being procured from the court of a district in Gujarat in the name of the President A P J Abdul Kalam, then Chief Justice of India V N Khare, a Supreme Court Judge B P Singh and a senior advocate.