HC grants bail to two arrested in Raj Bhavan fake bills case

The Madras High Court today granted conditional bail to a serving and a retired accounts section officials of the Raj Bhavan here arrested in connection with payments made for fake furniture purchase bills.

Justice A D Jagadish Chandira allowed the petitions filed by Kuppusamy, a retired accounts officer, and Sivakumar, an assistant accounts officer in the Raj Bhavan, and directed them to appear before the police daily at 10.30 am until further orders.

The two were arrested on June 5 on a complaint lodged by the Deputy Secretary in the Raj Bhavan that funds had been misappropriated by submitting fake bills showing purchase of furniture by the house keeping department of the Governor's Office.

Police, who registered a case on February 26, during investigation found that the bills did not tally with the corresponding copies retained by the firm.

The petitioners submitted that they had nothing to do with the orders placed by the Housekeeping department and their role was limited to passing the bills for payment.

Hence, the allegation that the bills were fabricated by them was false, the two contended.