HC seeks CBI stand on clearing house agent's bail plea in graft case involving senior DRI official

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought response of the CBI on the bail plea of a clearing house agent who along with a senior DRI official was recently arrested by the agency in connection with a Rs 3-crore bribery case.

Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar called for a status report from the agency and listed the plea seeking bail by clearing house agent Anup Joshi for further hearing on February 10.

Joshi, then DRI Additional Director General (ADG) of Ludhiana, Chander Shekhar, and businessman Rajesh Dhanda were arrested on January 1 by the CBI in connection with the case.

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.

According to a complaint received by the agency, Joshi and Dhanda, a close friend of Shekhar, allegedly demanded Rs 3 crore on behalf of the public servant for ensuring that 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.