New Delhi: The Supreme Court has rejected the state government's demand for an interim stay on the CBI investigation into the Periya double murder case.

It instead directed the CBI to give its stand on the investigation. A three-judge bench headed by Justice L Nageshwara Rao said it will not intervene if there is significant progress in the investigation.

The state government had through a special leave petition questioned the High Court's decision to leave the probe into the murders of Kripesh and Sarath Lal at Kalliyot near Periya to the CBI. Senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the state government, argued that this was not a rarest of rare case.

He said if there is any shortcoming in the investigation, it is for the trial court to direct further investigation. He picked each argument for a CBI investigation and said they were wrong by pointing out to the investigation report.

However, senior advocate V Giri and advocate Ramesh Babu, appearing for the parents of Kripesh and Sarath Lal, said that the Kerala High Court division bench had not stayed the CBI probe and that the agency had already taken up the investigation and it is progressing.

The court then directed the CBI to file an affidavit. The court, which sent the notice to the opposing party, will again consider the petition after four weeks.