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Court warrant against CBI officer probing Telgi aide
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| merisarkar news service New Delhi, December 10, 2011 |
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Telgi is accused in fake stamp scam
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A Delhi court has issued bailable warrants against a CBI officer probing a case against the alleged aides of Abdul Karim Telgi, kingpin of the multi-crore fake stamp paper scam, for his repeated failure to appear before it despite warnings.
Special CBI judge Manoj Jain issued bailable warrants of Rs 25,000 and granted "last and final opportunity" to V K Shukla, the investigating officer (IO) in the case against Puran Singh, a sacked Delhi Police official and three others.
Shukla had failed to appear on five consecutive dates of hearing since April 13 due to which the court was unable to continue the trial and examination of prosecution evidence.
The court said if Shukla fails to appear before it on the next date of hearing on January 18, 2012, it will not examine prosecution evidence any further in the case.
"I am not very much satisfied with the explanation and the reason assigned particularly keeping in mind the previous absence of the witness. He was supposed to be here on various previous dates i.e. April 13, 2011, July 19, 2011, October 17, 2011 and November 08, 2011 but he did not turn up," the judge said.
CBI sub-inspector Mohit Kumar, present in the court, placed on record a fax copy indicating that Head of Zone, CBI Kolkata was visiting Port Blair for annual inspection for which Shukla's presence was essential.
Counsel for CBI S K Saxena, however, submitted that "in the interest of justice one more opportunity be granted and coercive process, if deemed fit, be also issued against the official concerned."
The court said on the previous date of hearing a final opportunity was granted to CBI and it had observed that "no further excuse would be heard".
The judge, however, considered the prosecutor's plea and said, "Keeping in mind the overall facts and circumstances, I grant last and final opportunity to prosecution to produce IO V K Shukla on the next failing which I would be left with no option but to close the prosecution evidence."
"This time, let process be issued to IO V K Shukla through bailable warrants in a sum of Rs 25,000 through the Superintendent of Police, CBI."
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