HC refuses Ruia’s prayer for stay of criminal proceedings

Pawan Ruia’s expectation of moving out of the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was quashed at least for the time being with the Calcutta High Court’s directing on Tuesday that the probe by the investigating agency in connection with the fire in the factory of Jessop Company will continue. Jessop owner, Ruia, moved to the High Court praying stay of criminal proceeding against him stating that he was not involved with the functioning of Jessop for the past few years. He claimed that he was neither a shareholder nor the director of the company. 

Stating that the hearing in connection to this case would again take place after the winter vacation, Justice Joymalya Bagchi directed the CID officers to continue with their probe. Ruia, who was arrested from his residence in New Delhi on December 10, had acquired the Jessop factory at Dum Dum in 2003 and the company had bagged an order from the Railways to manufacture railway coaches. But he had failed to manufacture the same despite getting raw materials worth Rs 50 crore. 

But repeated incidents of fire, and reports on materials getting stolen from the factory raised the suspicion of the Railways and they conducted an inspection in the factory to find that most of the raw materials were missing. They had lodged a complaint with the police and a probe into the incident was initiated. Earlier on December 12, Ruia’s counsel had moved to the High Court. The Court had then directed the Railways and the state government to submit a report by December 16 after conducting an inspection in the factory. 

During the visit, the officials found that neither any coaches were made nor were there any raw materials left in the factory. Thus, with Tuesday’s order of the High Court, Ruia has to be in the custody of CID at least till December 25.