Documents leak case: Two accused remanded to judicial custody

Chartered accountant Khemchand Gandhi and Paresh Chimanlal Budhdev, a partner in Mumbai-based M/s Chitale and Associates, were produced before Special CBI Judge S C Rajan after expiry of their CBI custody, with the agency saying they could now be remanded to judicial custody.

The CBI told the court that their probe in the case was going on and various persons were required to be examined to unearth the larger conspiracy.

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The agency said they were analysing huge number of documents and data recovered during the investigation.

The court, after hearing the submissions, remanded both the accused to judicial custody till April 1.

Gandhi was arrested by CBI from Mumbai on March 12 and brought to Delhi on transit remand, while Paresh was arrested on March 13 when, according to CBI, he was allegedly trying to destroy troves of confidential government documents stashed in his office.

Besides Gandhi and Paresh, four other accused — Ashok Kumar Singh, Lala Ram Sharma, Daljeet Singh and Ram Niwas were earlier remanded to judicial custody till April 1 by the court.

Ashok Kumar Singh was working as an under-secretary in Department of Disinvestment of the Finance Ministry, Lala Ram Sharma was a section officer in the Department of Economic Affairs and Daljeet Singh, an upper divisional clerk in Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion of the Ministry of Commerce and Industries Ministry.

Earlier, CBI had told the court that Reliance Industries Ltd’s Vice President (Finance) K V Mohanan and Rajendra Chitale of M/S Chitale and Associates, were “suspects” in the case.

The agency had earlier told the court that a large number of incriminating documents have been seized during the probe as the accused were allegedly passing on and procuring classified and secret documents.

CBI has claimed that it was a well-flourishing racket that was being operated out of Delhi, with deals being fixed mostly in the financial capital of Mumbai and Bengaluru.

CBI’s action of conducting raids and arresting accused had come after March 12 when it lodged a case of criminal conspiracy and theft under the IPC and misuse of official position under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act against them.

They had said that this case was separate from the one being probed by the Delhi Police, as it was proper sale of documents via a chartered accountant to the corporate groups who had interest in foreign investments.