Docu leak case: Court grants bail to accused

An accused in the classified documents leak case arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been granted bail by a Delhi court.

The court enlarged Paresh Chimanlal Budhdev, partner in Mumbai-based <g data-gr-id="42">Chitale</g> and Associates, on bail, observing that the CBI had failed to file the charge-sheet against him within a stipulated period of 60 days from the date of his arrest.

The court had earlier granted bail to three other accused in the case, in which classified government 

documents were allegedly procured and passed on to others.

“I am of the view that the applicant is entitled to statutory bail under section 167(2) of the CrPC. So, applicant /accused Paresh Chimanlal Budhdev is admitted to statutory bail on furnishing his personal bond in a sum of Rs two lakh with one surety in the like amount,” Special CBI Judge SC Rajan said.

During arguments on the bail plea, Budhdev’s counsel said his client was arrested from Mumbai on March 13 but CBI has failed to file a charge-sheet against him within 60 days. The three co-accused, who were earlier granted bail, were Ashok Kumar Singh, Lala Ram Sharma and Khemchand Gandhi.

Ashok Kumar Singh was working as <g data-gr-id="34">under secretary</g> in the Department of Disinvestment in the Finance <g data-gr-id="29">Ministry,</g> while Lala Ram Sharma was a section officer in the Department of Economic Affairs. Khemchand Gandhi is a Chartered Accountant.

Besides these four accused, CBI had also arrested two others – Daljeet Singh, upper division clerk in Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion of Ministry of Commerce and Industries and Ram Niwas, a private person.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had earlier informed the court that a large number of “incriminating” documents had been seized from the accused who were alleged to be procuring and passing on classified documents to others.

It had alleged that a racket was being operated out of Delhi with deals being fixed mostly in Mumbai and Bengaluru.

The agency had conducted raids and arrested the accused after lodging a case of criminal conspiracy and theft under the IPC and misuse of <g data-gr-id="28">official</g> position under Prevention of Corruption Act against them.

It was alleged that the government servants were passing on documents relating to foreign investment policies in the ministries to Gandhi, who in turn provided them to corporate houses for a price.