Supreme Court - Daily Orders
Prem Prakash Verma vs Central Bureau Of Investigation on 24 September, 2014
Bench: Ranjana Prakash Desai, N.V. Ramana
1
ITEM NO.2 COURT NO.6 SECTION II
S U P R E M E C O U R T O F I N D I A
RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
Petition(s) for Special Leave to Appeal (Crl.) No(s). 4863/2014
(Arising out of impugned final judgment and order dated 16/05/2014
in CRMA No. 36417/2013 passed by the High Court Of Judicature at
Allahabad)
PREM PRAKASH VERMA Petitioner(s)
VERSUS
CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Respondent(s)
(With Appln.(s) for Bail and Permission to file Additional
Documents and Office Report)
Date : 24/09/2014 This petition was called on for hearing today.
CORAM : HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE RANJANA PRAKASH DESAI
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE N.V. RAMANA
For Petitioner(s) Mr. Huzefa Ahmad, Sr. Adv.
Mr. Nagendra Singh, Adv.
Mr. Vishwa Pal Singh,Adv.
For Respondent(s) Mr. Tushar Mehta, ASG
Mrs. Ranjana Narayan, Adv.
Mr. T.A. Khan, Adv.
Mr. B. V. Balaram Das,Adv.
UPON hearing the counsel the Court made the following
O R D E R
The National Rural Health Mission Scheme (NRHM) was launched with a view to providing accessible, adequate, affordable, accountable and reliable health care to all persons particularly the vulnerable people residing in remote areas. On 15.12.2011 in Public Interest Litigation Petitions filed before the Allahabad High Court, the Allahabad High Court gave a direction to the Signature Not Verified Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct an inquiry in the Digitally signed by execution and implementation of NRHM Scheme. Allahabad High Court Gulshan Kumar Arora Date: 2014.09.27 13:14:26 IST further directed that if prima facie, commission of cognizable Reason:
offence is found, then a case be registered. In pursuance of these directions, inquiry was conducted and on 23.03.2012, the CBI registered an FIR against the petitioner, the then Chairman of the 2 Purchase Committee and also the Chief Medical Officer and others under Sections 420/467/468/471/477A read with Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 3(2) read with Section 13(1)
(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. On 14.02.2013, the CBI filed charge-sheet against 12 persons which included the petitioner under Sections 120B an 420 of the IPC and Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
It is inter alia the case of the prosecution that the Purchase Committee which was headed by the petitioner purchased Iron Folic Acid tablets at Rs.26 paise per tablet, which was available in the open market at Rs.6 paise per tablet. This resulted in the loss of Rs.11,07,692/- to the Government.
The petitioner surrendered before the trial court on 23.10.2013 and ever since he is in judicial custody. The petitioner filed bail application before the Allahabad High Court. The Allahabad High Court by the impugned order rejected the petitioner's bail application and hence, the petitioner has filed the present special leave petition.
We have heard Mr. Huzefa Ahmadi, learned senior counsel for the petitioner, at some length and learned senior counsel for the CBI. Learned senior counsel for the petitioner points out that several persons who are similarly placed have been released on bail by the High Court. A chart showing the details in that regard is submitted in the Court today. After perusing the same, we find the statement to be correct. Inasmuch as the similarly situated persons have been released on bail, we think that the petitioner shall also be released on bail. It is also necessary to note that the charge sheet is already filed in the case and the petitioner is in jail for about 11 months.
In the circumstances, the petitioner Dr. Prem Prakash Verma is directed to be released on bail on his furnishing a personal bond and two local sureties each of the like amount to the satisfaction of the court concerned on the following conditions :
1. The petitioner shall not tamper with the prosecution evidence;
2. The petitioner shall not pressurize the prosecution witnesses;
3. The petitioner shall appear on the date fixed by the trial court;
4. The petitioner shall deposit an amount of Rs.2,00,000/-
(Rupees two lac only) Learned counsel for the petitioner states that the amount of Rs.2,00,000/- (Rupees two lac only) will be deposited within a period of four weeks from today. On such deposit being made, the 3 trial court shall invest the said amount in any nationalized bank on usual terms.
In case of breach of any of the conditions enumerated above, the order granting bail shall automatically stand cancelled.
The special leave petition is disposed of.
(Gulshan Kumar Arora) (Indu Pokhriyal)
Court Master Court Master