A Delhi Court on Monday extended Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody of three accused including two CBI officials till January 28 in connection with an illegal gratification case.
Special Judge Santosh Snehi Mann extended the CBI custody of the agency's deputy superintendent of police (DSP) RK Rishi, inspector Kapil Dhankad and a person namely Manohar Malik for three days. The trio was arrested last week and presented before the court on expiry of their five-day CBI custody.
The court stated, "In the facts and circumstances of the case, considering the gravity of the offence, nature of allegations, type of documents seized and the volume of the incriminating material, I am of the opinion that there is no other way to elucidate the larger conspiracy and the truth as to what transpired between the accused persons, but through custodial interrogation."
Extension of police custody remand of all the three accused persons was sought on the grounds that more incriminating documents have been recovered and seized during searches which include confidential documents. The voluminous data has been extracted from the digital devices/e-mails of the accused persons.
Senior Public Prosecutor A K Kushwaha, appearing for CBI said that accused persons have remained evasive during interrogation so far and were not cooperating. The accused have not been speaking the truth with respect to recoveries and seizures of documents and the digital data and hence more time is required for proper investigation of the case, said Kushwaha.
The application was opposed by the defence counsel and Advocate Hemant Shah on the grounds that the accused have remained in the police custody for five days which was a sufficient period for their custodial interrogation.
As per FIR, it is the case that accused CBI officers have entered into a criminal conspiracy with private persons Manohar Malik and others and have been compromising the integrity of investigation of certain CBI cases on extraneous pecuniary considerations.
CBI said that there is credible information that Rishi had made regular illegal payments or gratification to one CBI official for divulging information regarding complaints pertaining to another case, even after Rishi was transferred out of the branch. RK Rishi had been in touch with Manohar Malik, Kapil Dhanked and others on a regular basis, CBI alleged.
According to CBI, the private persons including Manohar Malik and Arvind Gupta are also in touch with RK Rishi and Kapil Dhanked and there is reasonable suspicion that Manohar Malik had been obtaining illegal gratification on behalf of Kapil Dhanked from suspects or other persons related to cases being investigated by Kapil Dhanked.
( With inputs from ANI )
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