Delhi court grants bail to DSP in bribery case

New Delhi, Oct. 31: A Delhi court Wednesday granted bail to CBI DSP Devender Kumar who was arrested in connection with bribery allegations involving the agency’s Special Director Rakesh Asthana.

Special CBI Judge Santosh Snehi Mann granted the relief to Kumar and asked him to furnish a personal bond of `50,000 and a surety of like amount. The CBI did not oppose his bail petition, saying that all the evidence was documentary and already in the possession of the probe agency, but sought imposition of certain conditions.

The court noted that after the registration of FIR containing allegations against Kumar for harassment by repeatedly calling the complainant, “nothing incriminating has come or surfaced during investigation against him till date”.

It further said: “Even in the FIR, there is no allegation of demand of illegal gratification by the accused (Kumar), neither is any allegation that any money was given to the accused. In the facts and circumstances of the case, it is deemed expedient in the interest of justice to grant bail to the accused. Bail application is allowed.”

The court directed Kumar not to leave the country without its prior permission, join the probe as and when called by the CBI and not to contact the witnesses or tamper with the evidence.

CBI may approach the court for cancellation of the bail if Kumar violates any of the conditions, it said. In his bail application, filed by advocate Rahul Tyagi, Kumar had termed his custody “illegal” and urged the court to set him free.