New Delhi: A senior official of the Defence
Ministry, arrested by CBI for allegedly accepting Rs 45,000
from his junior staff for a favourable Annual Confidential
Report(ACR), has been refused bail by a Delhi court.
Special CBI Judge Talwant Singh rejected the bail plea
of Jati Ram Meena, Joint Director in the Defence Ministry`s
Directorate-General of Resettlement, saying he might influence
the witnesses if released on bail.
"There is every possibility of the accused influencing
the witness at this stage if he is freed on bail. It is not a
fit case for grant of bail as this stage when crucial
investigation is still going on," the judge said.
Jati Ram was apprehended by CBI along with co-accused S K
Gupta, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, on
the complaint of a junior officer, K R Meena, on June 2 while
allegedly demanding and accepting Rs 45,000 from him for
preparing a favourable ACR.
CBI alleged Jati Ram had demanded illegal gratification
of Rs 60,000 for himself and Gupta for making favourable ACR
after making adverse remarks in the earlier report.
Meena, who was working as Hindi stenographer, then
approached the investigating agency and filed a complaint
against the officers.
Pleading for bail, Jati Ram`s counsel P K Sharma said
the officer has clear antecedents and there is no apprehension
of his evading trial or tampering with evidence.
The judge, however, refused the bail relying on CBI`s
submission that many important aspects of the case are yet to
be investigated.
PTI
