New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday remanded
Ratan Pal Singh Bhatia, arrested in connection with the
bribery case relating to suspended NALCO CMD Abhay Srivastava,
in CBI custody till March 5.
Bhatia, a representative of Bhatia Group of
Industries, who had allegedly paid Rs 20 lakh bribe to the
conduit B L Bajaj for delivery to Srivastava, was arrested
yesterday.
"The allegations on the face of it are quite serious
and are required to be investigated thoroughly. Accordingly, I
am satisfied that the prayer for police custody remand of the
accused is justified," Special CBI judge OP Saini said.
The CBI had submitted that he had paid Rs 20 lakh to
Bajaj for further delivery to Srivastava on behalf of Bhatia
Group of Industries.
The agency alleged in the court, “There is
incriminating evidence in the transcript of recorded
conversation between Ratan Pal and B L Bajaj for balance
payment of Rs 40 lakh."
The defence counsel opposed the CBI's plea saying that
his client (Ratan Pal's) arrest was wholly unjustified as he
was fully cooperating with the investigating agency and had
appeared before it as and when he was directed to do so.
Ratan Pal is the fifth person to be arrested in this
case.
NALCO CMD AK Srivastana and BL Bajaj are currently
in judicial custody till March 3.
AK Srivastava's wife Chandani Srivastava, Bajaj and
his spouse Anita Bajaj were arrested by the CBI on February 25
following a tip off and allegedly recovered about 10 kgs of
gold bricks and jewellery valued at around Rs 2.13 crores as
also Rs 30 lakh in cash from their possession.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, March 01, 2011, 17:48