Arrested Delhi bureaucrat, aide's police custody extended

A court here on Thursday extended, till December 17, the police custody of a principal secretary of the Delhi government and his personal assistant, arrested by the CBI for taking a bribe from a labour contractor who arranges security guards and peon.

Sanjay Pratap Singh, an Indian Administrative Service officer of the 1984 batch, who was Delhi's principal secretary, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Minorities Welfare, was detained on Tuesday along with his assistant Ramesh Kumar for accepting a Rs.2.2 lakh bribe from a complainant.

They were presented, after expiry of their one day police custody, before Special Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna, who extended their police custody till December 17.

It was alleged that the two allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs.2.2 lakh from the contractor whose firm is providing security guards and peons to the welfare department.

According to the Central Bureau of Investigation, following registration of the case, the probe agency laid a trap and Ramesh Kumar was caught while accepting the bribe of Rs.2.2 lakh from the complainant, on behalf of the IAS officer. He had asked his assistant to deliver the money to his car.

"The assistant delivered the money to his car, which was intercepted by the CBI outside his office and the officer was nabbed with the bribe amount," said a CBI official.

Sanjay Pratap Singh was later suspended by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.