Court grants bail to Delhi police SHO in bribery case lodged by CBI

NEW DELHI: A court has granted bail to a Delhi police SHO , arrested by CBI in a case of bribery, noting that the material investigation was already complete in the matter. Special judge Chandra Shekhar granted the relief to Surender Singh Chahal, SHO (station house officer) Vijay Vihar, north-west Delhi, on June 26 on a personal bond of Rs one lakh and a surety of like amount.
The SHO was arrested earlier this month by the CBI on a complaint of a local resident Sunil Kumar Vats who alleged that he had demanded a bribe of Rs five lakh to allow him to carry out construction on a plot purchased recently by him.
While granting bail, the judge said "I am of the considered opinion that material investigation has already been completed, there is no point to keep the accused in judicial custody because prosecution witnesses are still to be examined in the present case."
Regarding CBI's apprehension that accused may tamper with evidence, influence the witnesses or flee from justice, the court maintained that "the said aspects may be taken care of by granting bail to the accused subject to certain conditions imposed covering the aforesaid points."
The court warned Chahal "not to do any act or conduct, due to which a reasonable inference may be drawn that he is trying to tamper with the probe."
The judge said the accused will not leave the country without permission of the court and furnish his current address, mobile phone number and e-mail address to the investigating officer (IO) and report any change therein to the IO and to the court.
The court also directed the accused to join the probe as and when asked by the investigating officer.
Senior advocate Ramesh Gupta, appearing for the accused, submitted that no recovery was to be effected from his possession and his house and office was already searched.
"The alleged conversation itself stated to have taken place between the accused and the complainant only for a few seconds and it was manipulated," he said referring to the allegation that demand for bribe was made telephonically by the accused.
He further said that none of the witnesses claimed that accused at the relevant time was present in Vijay Vihar police station.
The CBI had opposed the bail application stating that the probe was at a crucial stage and a number of witnesses were yet to examined.
"The accused who was SHO of police station Vijay Vihar is an influential person and he may influence the witnesses or tamper the evidence or hamper further investigation or flee from justice," it said.