SC to hear bribery plaint against ex-CBI chief Ranjit Sinha

A special bench headed by Justice MB Lokur – hearing coal scam cases - will take up his plea in which he has sought SC’s permission to give a statement before the special probe team investigating misconduct charges against Ranjit Sinha.

An application accusing former CBI director Ranjit Sinha of demanding money from a person facing charges of illegal export of iron ore was filed before the Supreme Court.

An application accusing former CBI director Ranjit Sinha of demanding money from a person facing charges of illegal export of iron ore was filed before the Supreme Court.(HT File Photo)

Prem Chand Garg, managing director of Shri Lal Mahal Ltd – manufacturer of Shri Lal Mahal Rice – has alleged Sinha had asked him to pay Rs 25 crore to dilute the cheating case registered at Bangalore. The demand was made on three different occasions and Garg claims he refused to pay.

Garg’s application will be heard Wednesday. A special bench headed by Justice MB Lokur – hearing coal scam cases - will take up his plea in which he has sought SC’s permission to give a statement before the special probe team investigating misconduct charges against Sinha.

The panel – appointed by SC – is to submit a report on whether Sinha’s alleged meetings with the accused in the 2G case and coal scam amounted to interference with the investigation. A visitors’ diary maintained at Sinha’s official residence was given to the court by Common Cause – on whose petition the SC had ordered a CBI inquiry into the coal scam. Sinha has denied the charges.

In his application Garg has detailed how Sinha allegedly forced him to pay-up immediately after CBI registered the case. The businessman denied the allegations and said he first met the former CBI boss after the FIR was registered in September 2013. His meeting took place at Sinha’s official residence in Delhi where, the application read, the ex-CBI director asked for Rs 12.5 crore.

When Garg refused to pay, CBI allegedly issued him a notice and arrested his company director. After letting him be in jail for two months, the agency filed a report in the court that no case was made out against the director. While the director was languishing in jail, Sinha allegedly asked for Rs 15 crore the second time to let off Garg.

As per the application the CBI got an open-ended non-bailable warrant issued against Garg, which the Karnataka high court dismissed on January 28, 2014. By then a chargesheet was filed against him. Yet, Sinha allegedly called Garg’s wife and demanded Rs 25 crore.