HC rejects PIL alleging role of CBI sleuths in extortion cases

The Bombay High Court today dismissed a PIL alleging connivance of CBI officials with con men posing as CBI sleuths to extort money from various persons including Bollywood filmmaker Rakesh Roshan.
The petition was dismissed by a bench headed by Justice P V Hardas after CBI informed that its officers were not involved in such practices.
CBI further said that the agency's special vigilance unit had conducted a probe into the matter and filed a charge sheet in the concerned court.
It also informed that the money extorted from the victims had been recovered from the accused. The agency, however, denied that the CBI officials had connived with the accused to commit extortion.

The CBI also filed a confidential report on the probe conducted by its special vigilance unit.
The PIL, filed by former scribe Ketan Tirodkar, alleged that two persons - Ashwini Kumar and Rajesh Ranjan - had posed as CBI officers and approached Roshan with an offer to settle an inquiry pending against him with the probe agency.

The scam came to light after Roshan filed a complaint with the CBI. It was learnt that the duo had duped several other persons too. The PIL alleged that the duo were being helped by a CBI officer.
"Roshan was impressed by the factual knowledge of the case details and the fact that there was evidence against him for the CBI to register a regular case and hence he paid Rs 50 lakh to the impostors," stated the petition.

The PIL said CBI had no jurisdiction to register and investigate cases of cheating under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code, even if a central government servant is involved. The petition said that Roshan's case has diluted into a case of cheating at the instance of top CBI officers.