Delhi court sends journalist Upendra Rai in 3-day CBI custody

Special CBI Judge Santosh Snehi Mann remanded Rai to police custody after the agency said a large number incriminating material were recovered during the probe and he has not been cooperating in the investigation.

CBI Public Prosecutor Manoj Shukla had sought seven-day custody of the accused. Rai's counsel said he was was neither hiding, nor running away and his custody was not required to complete the probe. He said he has not tampered with the evidence and there was no allegation that he has tried to influence any witness. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court had refused to interfere with his arrest, saying it has not gone through the application filed by Rai seeking protection.

The CBI had yesterday arrested the Delhi-based scribe for allegedly indulging in dubious financial transactions and getting an airport access pass made by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) by furnishing false information.

Rai has claimed he has been framed in the case as he has been writing against an ED officer who was part of the team probing the 2G spectrum allocation scam case.