Jammu, September-21-2023:- Special Judge CBI Jammu Bala Joyti today rejected the bail application of one Ashok Kumar who was posted in the office of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Cantonment Board, Satwari, was arrested by CBI while demanding and accepting the graft amount from one Vinod Sharma.
Special Judge CBI Jammu Bala Joyti after hearing PP Vijay Dogra for the CBI, observed that the accused person primarily seems to have been grossly involved in the heinous offence of demanding bribe from the complainant for not evicting him from the residential quarter and for making allotment entry in the name of the complainant. It is not disputed that the accused has been arrested in aforesaid matter on 14.09.2023 in FIR No. RC0042023A0009 and investigation is still going on and the accused is on judicial remand for 10 days. I.O in this case was directed to expedite investigation as the intention of the legislature enacting the proviso to section 167 (2) appears to ensure that every investigation must be completed without necessary delay and for that purpose a time limit has been fixed, hence period of detention has to be computed in a particular case uninterruptedly from the date when an accused is produced before the Magistrate and cannot be tagged or separated if the accused person is involved in more than one case. Besides, investigation in the instant case is still at its infancy and he was arrested after a trap was laid. This clearly goes on to show that the I.O has yet to collect material evidence besides more arrests are apprehended. As pleaded by the prosecution, the accused is an influential person and there is every likelihood that if he is granted bail, he may tamper with prosecution evidence collected by the Investigating Officer and give slip to law. For the foregoing reasons, the application being premature and devoid of any legal force merits rejection at this stage and is accordingly dismissed. However, the applicant is not debarred from filing a fresh application if there is any change in the circumstances. JNF