Suspended Chief Engineer surrenders

CHANDIGARH, Nov 27: Ending an eight-month-long hide-and-seek game with the UT Vigilance Department, suspended Chief Engineer and a proclaime...

CHANDIGARH, Nov 27: Ending an eight-month-long hide-and-seek game with the UT Vigilance Department, suspended Chief Engineer and a proclaimed offender in the Engineering Department kickbacks case, KK Jerath, today surrendered before a city court this morning. He was later remanded to police custody for nine days.

Accompanied by both his sons and the counsel, Jerath walked into the second floor courtroom of the magistrate at the stroke of 10 this morning. Dressed immaculately in a navy blue blazer and dark grey trousers, Jerath made an effort to camouflage his nervousness by smiling hesitantly.

The surrender came exactly an hour before the proceedings of an inquiry committee, set up by the Chandigarh Administration, was to start at the nearby CITCO office to decide the next course of action due to his 8220;willful absence from the headquarters during suspension8221;.

Following his surrender, the magistrate gave a notice to the prosecution to appear before the court at 1.30 p.m. for further proceedings.

During the afternoon proceedings, Assistant District Attorney PK Kundra requested the court to allow a 14-day police remand so that Jerath could be interrogated thoroughly. Kundra argued that Jerath had received over Rs 72 lakh as illegal gratification, which had to be recovered from him, besides some important documents.

The prosecution counsel pleaded his case for remand by claiming that there was a nexus between the suspended Chief Engineer and some companies which were supplying the orders to the UT Engineering Department. He said Jerath8217;s association with the middlemen had also to be established. Kundra argued that Jerath was required for questioning to track down PSEB chief engineer, JC Gilhotra, another accused in the case.

Replying to the charge that Jerath had been on the run, the defence counsel said that the accused had appeared before the court today after recovering from a heart ailment. He said medical certificates to establish the disease had already been submitted before thecourt.

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The Chandigarh Administration had earlier announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for information on Jerath after he was declared a Proclaimed Offender on May 28 this year. Jerath is the second UT senior officer who is facing serious allegations of corruption. Another senior officer of the IAS cadre from Punjab, B.R. Bajaj, is currently facing trial in the Red Cross lottery scandal. The scandal surfaced while he was on a deputation to the UT as Finance Secretary.