A Delhi court today sent Bar Council Of India’s Vice Chairman R Dhanapal Raj, arrested for allegedly accepting bribe from a law college to grant affiliation, to Tihar jail for two weeks.
CBI completed the custodial interrogation of Mr. Dhanapal two days prior to the expiry of his police custody on February 25.
Mr. Dhanapal, a Chennai-based advocate, has sought ‘A-class’ facilities in the jail but the court said “there is no such class” in jail here.
“In Delhi jail, there is no such class and the jail superintendent shall take a decision in this regard as per the jail manual,” Special CBI Judge O P Saini said.
“Accused is remanded to judicial custody till March 9,” the judge said.
CBI submitted the court had on February 18 granted police custody of Mr. Dhanapal till February 25 but he is not required for further custodial interrogation.
“The accused is no longer required for custodial interrogation and he may be remanded to judicial custody for 14 days,” CBI said.
The court also directed the jail superintendent to consider the plea of the accused that he is allowed to use reading glasses and have home-cooked food.
The court had earlier remanded Mr. Dhanapal, who was arrested on February 17, to seven days CBI’s custody.
CBI had told the court that Mr. Dhanapal, in conspiracy with co-accused and BCI member R S Rana, had demanded Rs 15 lakh for a favourable report regarding inspection of Global Law College in Ghaziabad.
Mr. Rana was arrested on December 20 last year by CBI which had also claimed a recovery of Rs one lakh bribe amount from him.
Mr. Dhanapal’s telephonic talk transcripts revealed the demand for bribe by him while it also recovered Rs 74.10 lakh from his residential premises, CBI had said.
Mr. Dhanapal, however, had said that the money was meant to purchase some land and had been pooled in from different sources including his fees as special public prosecutor, the salaries of his wife and sister. Part of the money was also for his son’s marriage, he had said.
