HC grants bail to Air Force employee in fake recruitment racket case

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has granted bail to an Air Force employee who was alleged running a fake recruitment racket for employment in the Indian Air Force and Indian Railways. Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar said all the alleged transactions in the case were in the form of cash without any receipt, which is a matter of trial and cannot be looked into at this stage.

The judge added that nothing was left to be recovered from the petitioner accused, who is judicial custody since January, and the prosecution's case of the petitioner tampering with the evidence and fleeing from justice was "only an apprehension". The court further noted that the co-accused in the case was already on bail. "The charge sheet has already been filed.No receipt has been brought on record by the prosecution to show that the alleged transaction of Rs 2.7 crore from several aspiring candidates were made by the petitioner, who as per the allegations were cheated by the petitioner on the pretext of getting them job in the Indian Air Force and Indian Railways. Rather it is mentioned in the status report that all the transactions were in the form of cash without any receipt which is a matter of trial and cannot be looked into at this stage," the court said in its order dated October 29. "As per the status report three mobile devices of petitioner have already been seized during the investigation. The trial would take a long time. Co-accused with similar allegations has already been released on bail," it added. The court admitted the petitioner to bail on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with one surety of the like amount. The petitioner was also directed to not leave the country without the permission of the trial court and not tamper with the evidence or threaten the witnesses.

"It is made clear that in case these conditions are violated, the prosecution is at liberty to move an application for revocation of the grant of bail to the present petitioner," the court said. The prosecution opposed grant of bail on grounds that the petitioner was a government official who was accused of grave and serious allegations. It was alleged that the petitioner cheated several persons to the tune of Rs 2.7 in the name of assured jobs in IAF and Indian Railways and issued forged call letters and joining letters. The petitioner contended that there is not even an iota of evidence against him and he has been implicated in a false case.