Bribery scam within CBI: Court sends agency's DSP, inspector to 5 day custody

A Delhi court on Wednesday sent a CBI's deputy superintendent of police and an inspector, along with an advocate, all three arrested in connection with an alleged bribery scam within the agency, to five day custodial interrogation.

R K Rishi, DSP, Kapil Dhankad, inspector and advocate Manohar Malik, who were arrested on Tuesday night in connection with an alleged bribery ring run by them within the agency to help companies accused of siphoning off bank loan funds worth Rs 4,300 crore, were produced before Special Judge Anurag Sain.

The judge sent them to CBI custody, saying it was required for finding out the chain of linkage and conspiracy between them to help the prosecution in doing a fair investigation and to reach a logical conclusion.

“In my opinion, in order to unearth the conspiracy and to unveil the role of present accused persons along with other unknown accused persons, to find out the chain of linkage and conspiracy between the accused persons and also that the accused persons are to be confronted with the voluminous records, data messages/calls retrieved from their digital devices and incriminating documents which would help the prosecution in doing a fair investigation and to reach a logical conclusion, the accused persons are remanded to the police custody till January 25,” the judge said.

The CBI produced the three accused persons before the judge at his residence and sought their seven day custodial interrogation.

The agency's demand for custodial interrogation was opposed by advocate Hemant Shah, appearing for the DSP, saying that he had already joined the investigation and their houses were searched.

According to the CBI, the accused entered into a criminal conspiracy and compromised the integrity of investigation of certain CBI cases on extraneous pecuniary considerations.

The agency told the court that it required to interrogate the accused persons in its custody to identify and recover illegal gratification and its end use.

The CBI further said that there is a need to confront accused persons and suspects to find out the reason behind having the details of CBI cases in the possession of Rishi.

About the proceedings in the court, advocate Rahul Upadhyay, who appeared for one of the accused, said the agency also wanted to confront the accused persons with the data, messages and call details retrieved from their digital devices and with the official and unauthorised documents and other articles recovered from their premises, so that it could ascertain undue advantage obtained by Dhankad in cases being investigated by him.

The court directed the CBI to examine the accused persons medically every 24 hours and produce them before it on January 25.

The accused have been booked by the agency along with others for various offences punishable under Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly "compromising the integrity of investigation of certain cases on extraneous pecuniary considerations".