Court grants bail to retired CBI officer in Rs 25 lakh bribery case
Dec 01, 2020
New Delhi [India], December 1 : A Special CBI Court has granted bail to retired superintendent of police of CBI NMP Sinha arrested in connection with an alleged bribery case.
Sinha was arrested in October for allegedly receiving Rs 25 lakh to settle an ongoing investigation in CBI.
Special Judge Chandra Shekhar on Tuesday, while allowing the bail plea noted that "It is observed that though CBI has filed the charge sheet, but the requisite sanction under relevant provisions under section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 has not been forwarded along with the charge sheet and till date. Therefore, as per law cognisance of the offences cannot be taken and matter cannot proceed. So further extension/judicial remand of accused NMP Sinha, awaiting sanction, seems to be unjustified. Therefore the application of CBI seeking further extension of judicial custody remand is disallowed."
Court while allowing the bail plea of the accused, also directed that the accused shall furnish personal bond in the sum of Rs one lakh with one surety in the like amount; he shall not leave the country without permission of the court and deposit his passport.
Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa represented NMP Sinha has submitted that the accused is in judicial custody for about 60 days and charge sheet has been filed without filing sanction.
"The accused is not in a position to influence any prosecution witnesses or tamper with prosecution evidence. The custodial interrogation of the accused is no more required. The cognisance of the offences may not be taken without sanction," he submitted.
However, Sr. Public Prosecutor Raman Kumar for CBI has submitted that allegations against the accused are serious in nature and the CBI has collected sufficient evidence to prove the same. The CBI has filed the charge sheet, however, further investigation in the case is continued. The CBI has applied for sanction from the competent authority under section 19 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against accused.
The anti-corruption unit of the Central Bureau of Investigation on October 3 had arrested two persons including a retired CBI official NMP Sinha in an alleged corruption case. CBI had accused them of influencing a case which is being probed by the CBI. Sinha has retired in August this year from the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the CBI.
According to CBI, Sinha allegedly took Rs 25 lakh bribe to settle an ongoing investigation in CBI. EOU was probing a case of alleged corruption in allotment of iron ore mines in Jharkhand in 2005. In September 2016, CBI had registered case against officials of the department of mines in Jharkhand and a private company.
