Transfer racket: Lt Colonel, accomplice sent to judicial custody

A special court on Monday sent a Lieutenant Colonel and an alleged middleman to judicial custody till June 17 in connection with a transfer racket at the Army headquarters here in which officers allegedly paid lakhs of rupees to manipulate their postings.

Special CBI Judge Naresh Kumar Malhotra sent Lt Col Ranganathan Suvramani Moni, posted to the personnel division of the Army, and Gaurav Kohli to custody after the Central Bureau of Investigation submitted they were not required for further custodial interrogation. The two were produced before the court after the expiry of their three-day CBI custody.

Kohli, meanwhile, moved a bail plea submitting that since he was not required for a further probe, he should be released on bail.

The court will hear the application on June 9.

During the proceedings, Public prosecutor Amit Kumar told the court the CBI had taken the voice samples of the two and conducted searches at the premises of some others in relation to the case.