Graft case: Special magistrate sent to judicial custody by court

A special metropolitan magistrate of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), arrested by CBI for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000 from a businessman here, was on Wednesday remanded to judicial custody till September one by a Delhi court.

Accused R P Bhatia, who was arrested on Tuesday by CBI, was produced before the court and the agency requested that he be remanded to 14-day judicial custody as the probe was at an initial stage and witnesses were yet to be examined.

The agency told Special CBI Judge S C Rajan that Bhatia was allegedly caught red-handed while demanding and accepting Rs 25,000 bribe from complainant Manmohan Jain, a businessman, and the money was recovered from the bag of the accused in the presence of independent witnesses.

Countering CBI’s submissions, Bhatia argued that he has been falsely implicated in the case and nothing was recovered from his possession. He also claimed that he was arrested while he was sitting on the dais in his court in the office of Deputy Commissioner, MCD Central Zone Lajpat Nagar here.

The judge, after hearing the submissions, remanded Bhatia to two-week judicial custody saying: “I, therefore, allow the application of CBI for judicial custody remand of 14 days and accused be remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.” 

Meanwhile, Bhatia moved an application seeking bail and the court fixed it for arguments on September 1. Bhatia was arrested in the case lodged under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.