Court summons former RS member in LTC case

A court here has issued summons to former Rajya Sabha member Brajesh Pathak in connection with a leave travel concession (LTC) case.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna issued summons to Pathak to appear before the court on March 24. Delhi-based firm Vandna Travels Private Limited and its director Rajesh Agnihotri have also been summoned.

The court order came while taking cognizance of the CBI chargesheet filed against the company and its director on January 2.

However, the investigating agency did not chargesheet Pathak, saying there was no evidence against him. But the judge rejected the agency’s submission and said: “It is the duty of the investigating officer to forward the final report to the court and no discretion or prerogative lies with the investigative officer to evaluate the defence pleas or to assess the evidence collected on record to appreciate the defence pleas. “The concept and scheme of Section 13 (1) (d) (criminal misconduct by a public servant for obtaining peculinary gain) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 is clear and all the ingredients of the offence are complete in the present case,” the court said in its February 20 order.