New Delhi, Nov 21 Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted four weeks to Chitra Ramkrishna, former MD and CEO of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), to present her stand on the CBI's plea challenging her bail in a case related to alleged illegal phone tapping of NSE employees.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had challenged a trial court's order from December 22, 2022, granting her bail.
The high court listed the matter for further hearing on April 3, allowing time for Ramkrishna's counsel to file a written response to the CBI's plea.
Earlier, on February 9, the high court had granted her bail in a money laundering case related to the scam.
Earlier this month, Ramkrishna had filed a plea in the high court challenging the definitions of 'public duty' and 'public servant' under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act).
A division bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Shalinder Kaur has sought response from the Central government and the CBI, setting the hearing for December 19.
Ramkrishna has contested Sections 2(b) and 2(c)(viii) of the PC Act, arguing that they are overly broad and could wrongly implicate individuals not serving public roles.
An accused in the NSE co-location scam, Ramkrishna faces allegations of manipulating employee designations and compensation.
Senior advocate N. Hariharan, representing Ramkrishna, had said that these definitions unfairly extend to private individuals, emphasising NSE's private company status under the Companies Act.
Hariharan had also questioned the validity of the prosecution sanction, contending it lacks proper justification. He had argued that quashing the sanction would jeopardise the special court's jurisdiction, a sentiment countered by CBI counsel Anupam S. Sharma.
Sharma cited a Supreme Court precedent, stating that even a "sprinkle of aid" from the government can classify organisation employees as public servants.
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