CBI chargesheet: BCI members wanted Rs 13+ lakh total bribes as 3 now in special court dock

Bar Council of India (BCI) associate managing trustee Rajinder Singh Rana and former vice chairman Raju Dhanapal Raj were tried before a special CBI court in Delhi yesterday, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 6 lakh to approve Global Law College in Ghaziabad.

Prosoll Law Inc advocate Harsh Kumar Sharma acted for Rana and Raj, and advocate Mohinder Singh Saini acted for the third accused Manish Tyagi before special CBI judge Anju Bajaj Chandna. Tyagi was the member of the advisory council of the Ghaziabad college in 2010 – the time when the offence was allegedly committed.

Public Prosecutor PK Dogra was acting for the state and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

CBI judge Chandna charged Rana, Raj and Tyagi for conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and for illegal gratification under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.

According to the chargesheet, Rana and Raj had allegedly demanded Rs 15 lakh from the law school’s chairperson BS Satyarthy at the time when the law school had submitted its application for inspection, and had again demanded Rs 15 lakh from Satyarthy when it was time for Rana and Raja to give submit their inspection report.

The chargesheet also alleges that Tyagi was the middleman who had negotiated with Rana to reduce the bribe amount from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 6 lakh, and had then finally delivered Rs 6 lakh to Rana.

Satyarthy, who turned “approver” in the case, made witness statements to confirm the offence, the chargesheet also stated. The charges in this case were framed against the accused on 15 September.

The CBI special court is currently in the process of taking evidence and cross examination in the case, with the CBI claiming phone wiretap evidence of Rana and other evidence.

All three accused, Rana, Raj and Tyagi, pleaded not guilty according to the chargesheet.