Journalist Upendra Rai
A Delhi court rapped the CBI on Monday for seeking adjournment to procure sanctions to prosecute an accused in a case against journalist Upendra Rai, who was arrested by the agency for his alleged involvement in dubious financial transactions.
Special Judge Santosh Snehi Mann, who was scheduled to take cognisance of the charge sheet in the case, said the delay by the agency in the name of procedural formalities cannot be appreciated.
The CBI was seeking time to get sanction to prosecute Bureau of Civil Aviation security Assistant Director Rahul Rathore.
"On perusal of file, it is observed that charge sheet was filed on July 31, 2018 and matter is pending cognizance awaiting the sanction. Repeatedly time has been taken by the IO. One of the accused is in the judicial custody.
"Time and again adjournment taken by CBI for filing the sanction in the name of some procedural formalities cannot be appreciated. I hope, time taken now shall be diligently used by the CBI to complete the procedural formalities for filing sanction," the court said while posting the matter for hearing on November 26.
The senior public prosecutor, appearing for CBI, on instructions received by the Investigating Officer, told the court that legal opinion has been sought from the Ministry of Law, which is awaited and sought a month's time.
Besides Rai and Rathore, the CBI has also named a firm, Air One Aviation Pvt Ltd, its chairman-cum-managing director Alok Sharma as accused in its charge sheet.
At present, Rai is in judicial custody.
The CBI had arrested him on May 3 for allegedly indulging in dubious financial transactions and getting an airport access pass made by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security by furnishing false information.
The Supreme Court had on May 4 refused to interfere with his arrest.
In its FIR, the agency has alleged that going by the value of the transactions of over Rs 1 lakh each during 2017, Rai's accounts received Rs 79 crore, while Rs 78.51 crore was debited from it during the same period.
The ED had arrested him in a money laundering case, related to alleged extortion and dubious financial transactions, registered on the basis of the CBI FIR. He is currently in JC in the money laundering case as well.
