Probe is on against RPF personnel in fake rly court case: CBI

CBI today informed the Bombay High Court that investigation of Kurla 'fake Railway court' scam was in progress and a charge sheet has been filed against 12 persons in the case.
Additional Government pleader Shahaji Shinde, representing CBI, also informed the division bench headed by Justice P V Hardas that the agency was awaiting permission from competent authority to prosecute one of the accused.
The judges adjourned the hearing to September 23 after he said that CBI would file a supplementary charge sheet, and the probe was still on.
The court was hearing a PIL filed by social activist Samir Zaveri, who brought the scandal to light through his petition.

According to Zaveri, some Railway Police Force personnel at suburban Kurla station pretended to be staff of a non- existing Railway Magistrate Court and collected money for cash bonds from those arrested for trespassing or crossing tracks.
A head constable acted as 'magistrate' and granted 'bail' to the offenders after they paid the bond money. The money was pocketed by the RPF personnel.

In August 2011, High Court handed over the investigation to CBI following allegations of shoddy probe by the Government Railway Police. The court had pulled up the CBI too on several occasions for tardy probe.
In an affidavit filed today, N M Parab, Inspector of Police, CBI (ACB), said the agency examined the role of 23 RPF officials who were posted at Kurla at the time, and evidence was found against 12, who were later chargesheeted.

Of these, five had been dismissed from service after departmental inquiries, while one had retired, so there was no need for sanction from higher authorities to prosecute them.
For five others, still in service, sanction had been obtained, while it was awaited for another accused.