CBI SP Vivek Dutt, 3 others remanded to Judicial Custody till June 7

NEW DELHI: Arrested CBI SP Vivek Dutt, a key member of the coalgate scam probe, and three others were today remanded to judicial custody till June 7 by a Delhi court in connection with a corruption case lodged against them.

The four arrested accused -- Dutt, CBI inspector Rajesh Chandra Karnatak, alleged middleman Rajesh Pachisia and businessman Dinesh Chand Gupta -- were produced before the court after expiry of their CBI custody.

Special CBI Judge V K Gupta sent the four accused to jail under judicial custody till June 7 after the agency said their probe into the case is going on and their further custodial interrogation was not required.

Dutt, Karnatak and Pachisia are accused of taking a bribe of Rs seven lakh from Gupta to favour him in a land dispute case.

According to the CBI, Dutt and Karnatak were in the same branch in the agency and Pachisia was in regular contact with them.

CBI had said that Gupta had a land dispute and a cheating case was registered against him at Amar Colony Police Station here.

Dutt used to pressurise Delhi Police officials, who were probing the cheating case, to quash the FIR and for this, he had demanded Rs 15 lakh from Gupta, CBI had said, adding that SHO of Amar Colony Police Station was initially reluctant, but later succumbed to pressure and the FIR was quashed.

It had said Pachisia was apprehended while he was handing over Rs seven lakh to Karnatak and a total of Rs 15 lakh cash was recovered from Pachisia, Karnatak and Gupta.

Dutt, however, had claimed innocence alleging that a conspiracy has been hatched to keep him out of the Supreme Court-monitored Coalgate probe team.

Dutt had also claimed that someone was trying to destroy his career as he was involved in a very important case and nothing was recovered from his possession by the CBI.

The other three accused had also claimed in the court that they have been implicated in the case.

CBI, however, had said that it had recorded conversations between Dutt and the SHO of Amar Colony Police Station, and there are four independent witnesses who were present at the time when the cash was recovered from the possession of the accused persons.

The agency had also said that during searches conducted by them, Rs 24 lakh cash was recovered from Karnatak's residence.

Dutt, Pachisia and Gupta had earlier told the court that they do not want to give their voice sample to the CBI and the agency cannot compel them for it.