SC refuse to interfere with scribe's arrest, sent to 3-day CBI custody

Delhi-based journalist Upendra Rai was today sent to three-day CBI custody by a special court, hours after Supreme Court refused to interfere with his arrest for alleged involvement in dubious financial transactions and fraudulently acquiring an airport access pass.

Special CBI Judge Santosh Snehi Mann remanded Rai to CBI custody after the probe agency told the special court that substantial amount of incriminating material have been recovered and he has not been cooperating with the investigation.

The CBI had yesterday arrested Rai for allegedly indulging in dubious financial transactions and getting an airport access pass made by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) by furnishing false information.

The journalist in the morning claimed before the apex court that there was a witch-hunt by the investigating agencies against him and said whenever he made any averments against officials probing 2G spectrum allocation cases, he was falsely implicated.

A bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said it cannot interfere with the arrest and adjourned the matter for next week.

Senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, appearing for Rai, said "as a journalist whenever I have raised serious questions on the investigation done by Enforcement Directorate official probing 2G spectrum allocation scam or the department, I was framed".

She said that day before yesterday, "I was called by CBI and yesterday I was arrested on a mere allegation that I had fraudulently acquired an aerodrome pass.

"My case is that I have made certain averments against the officer concerned and the department with regard to investigation done in 2G case and I was framed."
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for ED official Rajeshwar Singh, said this was an attempt made by levelling scurrilous allegations against him. "False allegations are being made to tarnish the image of the officer and attempts being made to pressurise him."