Chandigarh, September 19
After playing hide and seek with the law enforcing agencies for over a month, Ravinder Singh, the prime accused in the controversial cash-at-judge’s door, surrendered before the CBI Special Court of Jagdeep Jain today.
Minutes after his surrender, Ravinder claimed before mediapersons in the courtroom that he knew Justice Nirmal Yadav and some other judges also. However, he backtracked later after his counsel asked him to maintain silence.
His wife, who was accompanying him, asserted that Ravinder was medically unfit. She said he was suffering from hypertension and diabetes, besides being a heart patient. He also had cervical, she added.
While talking to newsmen, Ravinder acknowledged his association with the other accused in the case, former Haryana law officer Sanjeev Bansal, and said he had known him for over seven years now. He said besides his import and export business, he had business interests in hotels.
The court remanded Ravinder in CBI custody till September 23, while the defence did not challenge the remand application.
Ravinder surrendered at 2:30 pm soon after the CBI court dismissed his application for his identification parade. The application also made a mention of various terms of surrender. The counsel for Ravinder claimed that he was at the courts complex since morning and was waiting for orders to be pronounced on the application.
While seeking remand, special public prosecutor (SPP) for the CBI Pawan Kumar Dogra said, “It is to be brought to the notice of the court that the accused used to wear a turban and has shaved his head to conceal his identity.” However, Dogra’s claim was exposed after Ravinder’s counsel asked him to remove his cap and show his unshaven head to the court.
While sending Ravinder to police remand till September 23, the court ordered that the accused be subjected to medical examination at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, and the Government Hospital, Sector 16. Considering the Ravinder’s application, the court directed the CBI that he should be allowed to take medicines provided a doctor examines it.
The court also asked the CBI to ensure that a doctor be appointed to examine his health. The defence counsels were also allowed to be present during Ravinder’s interrogation between 5 pm and 6 pm and meet him between 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm.
Furthermore, the names of defence counsels to be present when Ravinder is taken to Delhi were also mentioned in the order.
Ravinder had been absconding since August 13 after cash was delivered at a judge’s house.
The other accused arrested in the case, former Haryana additional advocate general Sanjeev Bansal and Panchkula-based property dealer Rajiv Gupta, had claimed that the money belonged to Ravinder Singh. Rajiv had claimed that he had delivered Rs 15 lakh at a judge’s house after the first packet containing an equal sum of money had erroneously landed at Justice Nirmaljit Kaur’s house last month. Bansal and his assistant Parkash, Nirmal Singh and Rajiv Gupta are already in judicial custody.
The matter had surfaced after a packet containing Rs15 lakh was delivered at the residence of high court judge Nirmaljit Kaur on August 13. The judge had reported the matter to the police. The police had registered a case and had initiated investigation in the matter. The case was later transferred to the CBI as it involved the judiciary and leading lawyers.
