Graft case: HC directs CBI to file status report relating to arrest of businessman

The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the CBI to file a detailed status report in a case relating to the arrest of a businessman in connection with a Rs three-crore bribery case, allegedly involving a senior DRI official.

Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar issued notice to the CBI on a plea by the businessman challenging the order of a trial court by which it was held that there was no delay by the probe agency in producing the accused before the court concerned after his arrest.

The court asked the CBI to file a detailed status report and listed the matter for further hearing on May 1.

The court was hearing the petition by businessman Rajesh Dhanda, who was arrested by the CBI on January 1 along with Chander Shekhar, then DRI Additional Director General (ADG) of Ludhiana, in connection with the case.

The petition, filed through advocates Arshdeep Singh and Sanjay Abbot, challenged the trial court's January 6 order which held that there was no delay by the CBI in producing the accused before the court concerned after his arrest.

The plea has also claimed that while the order, the trial court has failed to appreciate the constitutional infirmities and violations by the CBI and on the contrary, the court held the illegal actions of the CBI as legal.

Dhanda claimed that he was illegally detained by the CBI and his formal arrest was shown after a delay.

The plea sought direction to the CBI to disclose the authority of law under which Dhanda was detained/ confined from December 31, 2019 till January 2, 2020 and was made to carry out involuntary acts under the directions of the agency.

It also sought to declare his detention from December 31, 2019 to January 2, 2020 by the CBI and all proceedings emanating therefrom, as illegal.

It added that he was made to sign the arrest memo prepared at the CBI office on January 2, however, the document showed the date of his arrest as January 1 at Ambala district.

Besides Dhanda and Shekhar, a third person, Anoop Joshi, a clearing house agent, was also arrested by the probe agency.

Dhanda, according to his petition, was later granted bail by the trial court on January 16.

According to the CBI, in June last year, the DRI had conducted a search at a private clearing agency which provides services to various exporters, and some documents pertaining to an exporter were also seized.

As per a complaint received by the agency, Joshi and Dhanda, a close friend of Shekhar, allegedly demanded Rs three crore on behalf of the public servant for ensuring the complainant is not implicated by the DRI over documents recovered.

The agency arrested Joshi and Dhanda while allegedly receiving Rs 25 lakh as first installment of the bribe demanded by them on behalf of the officer, the CBI had said at the time of the arrest.