Bansal case accused TV actor Anuj Saxena surrenders in court

TV actor and COO of Elder Pharmaceuticals Anuj Saxena, accused of bribing former Ministry of Corporate Affair official B.K. Bansal who committed suicide, surrendered himself before a Delhi court on Thursday.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge Gurdeep Singh directed the Chief Operating Officer (COO) to mark his presence on Friday, the next date fixed for hearing.

Saxena was directed by the Delhi High Court on February 13 to surrender himself before trial court by February 17.

The High Court had also directed him to withdraw his anticipatory bail plea and move it afresh before the trial court concerned.

The CBI has alleged that Saxena had contacted another co-accused Vishwadeep Bansal to negotiate with a senior Corporate Affairs Ministry official for not recommending the matter to Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) for probe against his company.

The investigating agency has also alleged that Corporate Affairs Ministry officer Bansal was dealing with the violations by Elder Pharmaceuticals.

The court observed that Saxena's role is direct, as he was the beneficiary from the alleged offence.

Key accused B.K. Bansal and and his 31-year-old son Yogesh committed suicide on September 27, 2016, by hanging themselves at their house in east Delhi. His wife Satyabala, 57, and daughter Neha, 27, committed suicide on July 19 last year.

Bansal, an Additional Secretary-rank Director General in the ministry, was arrested by the CBI on bribery charges on July 16. Later, he was granted bail.

He was accused of receiving Rs 9 lakh from Mumbai-based Elder Pharmaceuticals.

--IANS

akk/nir