New Delhi, May 4 The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to grant interim bail to Chhattisgarh's suspended Additional Director General of Police Gurjinder Pal Singh in a case filed against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
A bench, headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli, said: "We see no reason to interfere with the impugned order passed by the High Court dismissing the interlocutory application filed by the petitioner seeking interim bail."
However, the top court asked the high court to dispose of the matter, pending adjudication before it, expeditiously, on its own merits and in accordance with law.
Singh had moved the top court challenging the Chhattisgarh High Court order, which declined to grant him interim bail in a corruption case, contending that no case under Section 13 (1) (b) and 13 (2) of Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Acy 2018, as well as under Section 201, 467, and 471 of the Indian Penal Code is made out against him.
Singh added that he is suffering severely in custody and it is gravely jeopardising his career in the Indian Police Service and causing deep humiliation to him. He contended that the state agency has not sought any extension of his police custody, but rather sought judicial custody before the lower court.
The Chhattisgarh government was represented by senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi and advocate Sumeer Sodhi. The state government, in its affidavit, said during the course of investigation, it was found by the investigating agency that Singh had indulged in the commission of offences punishable under various sections of IPC.
"It is also worth mentioning that the answering respondent granted every opportunity to the petitioner after the vacation of interim protection to join investigation but since the petitioner did not do the same, the answering respondent was left with no other remedy available under the law, but arrest the petitioner," said the affidavit.
The state government added that source information received by the EoW/ACB indicated disproportionality and discrepancy between the assets, expenditure and income of the petitioner and consequently, an FIR was registered on July 29, 2021.
In January, the Chhattisgarh Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested Singh, who is under suspension, and charged him with corruption, sedition, and promoting enmity.
On January 3, this year, the top court junked a plea by Singh, challenging the high court order, which denied him protection against arrest in a case under Prevention of Corruption Act.
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