CBI questions Abhishek Verma

CBI sources said Verma appeared before the CBI sleuths for questioning this morning.

The CBI had booked Verma in a fresh case alleging that he took USD 5.30 lakh from Swiss-company Rheinmetall Air Defence AG (RAD) on promise that he would use his influence to stall blacklisting proceedings intiated by the government against it after the Ordnance Factory Board scam surfaced.

The CBI booked the company, Verma and unknown persons under section eight and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, CBI sources said.

Section 8 of the Act relates to taking bribe to influence public servants and carries a punishment of six months to five years.

After registering the case, 10 CBI teams, who were later joined by the criminal investigation unit of I-T, swooped down at 10 locations in Delhi and Gurgaon which included four premises of Verma, offices of RAD in Vasant Vihar and Satya Niketan and farm house of its Director Mahinder Sahni in Kishangarh and three associates of Verma, they said.

Recently, Verma had reached a Delhi court with a complaint against his former partner C Edmond Allen accusing him of cheating him of Rs 55 crore and forging documents and emails to defame him.

Allen had filed complaint with CBI Director and other top officials alleging that Verma received funds from RAD for bailing it out.

The court had taken cognisance of the complaint of Verma, and posted the matter for recording of his pre-summoning evidence on July 21.