Civil servant gets bail in extortion case

The court of Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Kumar Lal in Panchkula has granted bail to Haryana Civil Services (HCS) officer Meenakshi Dahiya in an extortion case. Dahiya had been on the run for several months before her arrest on September 21.

Previously, Dahiya sought anticipatory bail from the Additional Sessions Court in Panchkula and the Punjab and Haryana High Court; however, her requests were denied. The court granted her bail, noting further custody would not serve any purpose, especially since her two co-accused had already been released on bail.

Dahiya’s advocate, SPS Parmar, argued she was falsely implicated due to animosity from certain individuals. He contended Dahiya had dealt with the file related to the charges against complainant Rajan Khora on April 16, prior to the alleged bribe demand on April 17. According to him, the timeline indicated the complaint was concocted, as the case was registered only after a 40-day delay on May 29.

Parmar also mentioned the investigation had been completed and Dahiya had provided her voice sample and handwriting to the trial court.

In contrast, the public prosecutor opposed Dahiya’s bail, expressing concerns she might influence witnesses or abscond from court proceedings.

The court ultimately granted bail under specific conditions — bail bond of Rs 1 lakh, surrender of passport, Dahiya not to leave country without the court’s permission, not to tamper with evidence during trial and to put appearance during trial on the date fixed.

The case

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Panchkula had arrested Dahiya’s cook, Satyendra Singh, while he allegedly accepted Rs 1 lakh in bribes on her behalf. Dahiya’s stenographer, Joginder Singh, was also implicated in the case.

The investigation began when the District Fisheries Officer, Rajan Khora, complained he was wrongfully framed in a case to facilitate the promotion of a junior colleague. Although an inquiry cleared Khora of all charges, Dahiya allegedly called him to her Chandigarh office on April 17 and demanded Rs 1 lakh for dropping the charges against him. The ACB laid a trap on May 29, leading to the arrest of her peon while accepting the bribe.