Rly diesel theft: Lawyer,assistant held for graft

CBI claimed to have recovered Rs 1.27 lakh in cash from the arrested lawyer,Advocate Hemant Ganesh Thorat,and his assistant Laxman Devram Deshmukh,both residents of Shrirampur in Ahmednagar district.

The two have been charged under IPC Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), and the Prevention of Corruption Act (taking gratification to influence a public servant).

The CBI told the court of Special Judge S V Yarlagadda,before whom the two were produced,that Veer Singh had divulged during interrogation by investigating officer (CBI) Sanjay Gokhale that the money was paid between February 27 and April 24.

“The two accused demanded money to influence CBI public prosecutor and judge of the anti-corruption court,” Police Inspector Sujata Tanawade told the court.

Special Public Prosecutor (CBI) Vivek Saxena submitted to the court a four-page document recovered from Thorat’s residence. “The papers have handwritten details of the amounts,cheques and some applications by Chaudhary in the Bombay High Court,” said Saxena. While arguing for their police custody,Saxena added,“In the first week of March,the accused obtained Rs 15 lakh and later Rs 13.95 lakh. The custody of the accused is required to take them to places in Daund and Shrirampur where the money was paid.”

Inspector Tanawade told the court: “The accused has papers,containing details about the role of other railway personnel. One witness was present in the hotel at Daund,when Rs 15 lakh was paid. We need to confront the accused with the witness.”

The special judge remanded Thorat and Deshmukh in police custody till May 13.