EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Feb 4: Special Judge CBI Rajesh Sekri rejected the bail application of one Darbara Singh, Incharge Regional Director and Head of the Regional Office of ESIC who was caught red handed by the Central Bureau of Investigation while accepting bribe Rs 50,000.
According to the CBI that case was registered against the petitioner on 29.01.2021, on the basis of complaint lodged by Anju Devi wife of Bodh Raj, an employee of M/s Para Security Services and Sangara Ram, Proprietor of M/s Para Security Services, alleging inter-alia that the accused/petitioner, in the capacity of being Deputy Director, ESIC, Shastri Nagar, Jammu, demanded bribe of Rs two lakh for reducing the penalty on their firm M/s Para Security Services. It was also alleged by the complainants that they were threatened by the accused that the order of penalty will be finalized if complainants refuse to pay the bribe amount. The petitioner also proposed the complainants to pay the bribe amount in four installments of Rs 50,000 each, if they had any problem in paying the bribe money in one go. On being repeatedly threatened and pressurised by the petitioner, complainant Anju Devi is alleged to have paid Rs 50,000 to the petitioner/accused on 13.01.2021, on behalf of Sangara Ram, owner of the firm. However, when the petitioner kept on pressurizing and threatening the complainant for payment of the balance bribe amount, the complainants preferred to approach Superintendent of Police, CBI, ACB, Jammu. Genuineness of the complaint was verified and as the verification report prima facie disclosed the commission of offence punishable under section 7 of the PC Act by the accused, a trap was laid by the CBI and the accused was caught red handed, in his office premises, while demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 50,000 from the complainant Anju Devi on 29.01.2021.
Special Judge CBI Jammu Rajesh Sekri after hearing Adv Seema Sharma for the applicant whereas Special PP Manmohan Sharma for the CBI observed that Courts have to strike a reasonable balance between societal interest and individual interest. When these interests are irreconcilable, societal interest must prevail. In a society governed by rule of law, there should be zero tolerance to corruption. With these observations Court rejected the bail application. —JNF |
