Woman judge's husband files bail plea in graft case

The lawyer husband of a Senior Civil Judge and another lawyer arrested in a corruption case have approached a city court for bail, court sources said on Thursday.

Senior Civil Judge Rachna Tiwari Lakhanpal, posted at the Tis Hazari courts, her lawyer husband Alok Lakhanpal and another lawyer Vishal Mehan were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation on September 28.

A court granted bail to Rachna on October 3.

Alok and Mehan, currently in judicial custody, moved their bail pleas this week before Special CBI Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal. The bail pleas are likely to be heard on Friday.

As per the CBI, a complaint was received on September 27 against the judicial officer that she had appointed an advocate (Mehan) as a local commissioner in a civil case she was adjudicating and had allegedly demanded bribe.

The investigating agency said a raid was conducted at the judicial officer's Gulabi Bagh residence here late September 28 night and Rs 94 lakh seized.

A CBI team had first arrested Mehan while he was allegedly accepting the money from the complainant on behalf of Rachna Lakhanpal on the pretext of getting the court decision in his favour in a disputed property case.

During his questioning, Mehan allegedly said the money was meant to be handed over to the judicial officer.

"Subsequently, Mehan handed over the bribe money to Rachna at her residence. She kept Rs 4 lakh and gave back Rs 1 lakh to him just before a CBI team arrested her," a CBI officer said after her arrest on September 28.

Rachna's husband was arrested on charge of playing a crucial role in the bribery case.

--IANS

gt-akk/tsb/dg