Court sends TV actor Anuj Saxena to three-day CBI custody

A court here on Friday sent TV actor and COO of Elder Pharmaceuticals, Anuj Saxena, accused of bribing former Corporate Affairs Ministry official B.K. Bansal -- who committed suicide -- to three days CBI custody.

Saxena had on Thursday surrendered before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge Gurdeep Singh.

Singh allowed the probe agency to quiz him till Monday.

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

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 the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) for probe against his company.

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

The court observed that Saxena's role was 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/ruwa/rn