Graft case: Ex-IAS officer surrenders

While Arvind continues to remain at large, Tinoo surrendered on the last day of the court-given deadline. Her lawyer argued that she was ill and should be released on bail because she needed urgent medical care. He claimed that she has been ill for a long time and was treated outside the state and that she required surgery. However, rejecting the bail plea and remanding her in 14 days judicial custody, Special Judge D P Mishra directed that Tinoo be given all the medical attention.

A lookout notice had been issued against Tinoo and her husband Arvind Joshi after they failed to appear before the court in a case of disproportionate assets filed by the Lokayukta Police. The couple had been suspended in February 2010, a day after an Income Tax raid at their official bungalow in Bhopal led to seizure of more than Rs 3 crore in cash and unearthing of details of property and assets worth hundreds of crores. Months later, the MP Lokayukta Police also raided the premises owned by the couple and filed a chargesheet for disproportionate assets worth more than Rs 40 crore. Though the Joshis were in Bhopal, the state agency made no attempt to arrest them and when it did, the couple disappeared.

Arvind was principal secretary (jail) and his wife principal secretary (women and child development) when they were suspended. Tinoo had tried to distance herself from the corruption charges saying that she could not be held accountable for what her husband did, and that she was innocent. She has served as deputy secretary in the PMO in 1989-90.