CBI gets 5-day custody of Rajender Kumar, 5 others

Central Bureau of Investigation Special Judge Arvind Kumar allowed the agency to question Rajender Kumar, former assistant director of the VAT department Tarun Sharma, Endeavour Systems Pvt Ltd’s directors Sandeep Kumar and Dinesh Kumar Gupta and a fifth man, Ashok Kumar, till July 10. 

“Keeping in view the facts and circumstances and submissions made by the parties, I deem it appropriate to grant five days police custody remand of the accused persons,” the court said, adding that the CBI should get the accused medically examined as per rules.

The court also said that the accused shall also be entitled to get assistance from their advocates during interrogation as per law. The CBI, which arrested the five on Monday, sought 10- day custody of the accused saying it had to probe the money trail and make the accused confront each other. However, the defense counsel opposed the plea.

CBI alleged that Kumar, who was still holding a high post, could tamper with evidence and try influence witnesses. CBI public prosecutor V K Ojha alleged that Kumar has tried to intimidate witnesses in the case. The prosecutor V K Sharma said that a thorough  custodial interrogation of the accused persons was necessary.

However, this was challenged by accused Dinesh Kumar Gupta, who told the court that it was the CBI who pressurised him to become an approver in the case. Kumar said raids were conducted at all the places of the accused and documents had already been seized by the CBI. He had already joined the investigation and there is no ground for grant of police custody.

The prosecutors added that during investigations a lot of incriminating evidence had been recovered showing that undue advantage was given to the accused company. 

The CBI counsel accused the Delhi government of creating hype in the media after Kumar’s arrest. CBI told the court that the accused persons joined the investigation but did not co-operate and to know the exact chain of events in the offence, it was  imperative to interrogate the accused.

The CBI dubbed Kumar as the brainchild of the firm Endeavour Systems, which was countered by Kumar’s defense counsel and senior advocate Mohit Mathur stating that there was not a single paper on record which established any relation with the other arrested accused. Defense counsel Mathur said that CBI could not prove wrongful gains even in seven months of investigation and his client Kumar had joined the investigation whenever required.