The Punjab and Haryana High Court has rejected the anticipatory bail petition filed by IAS officer Vijay Singh Dahiya in a corruption case registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau in Panchkula.
A single-judge Justice Gurvinder Singh Gill dismissed Dahiya’s argument that no incriminating evidence was found against him during the extensive interrogation by Vigilance officials.
“Co-accused Poonam, who was caught red-handed accepting the amount, in her disclosure statement, has stated in unambiguous terms regarding complicity of petitioner. Although, the petitioner was let off after questioning on 20.4.2023 but the same cannot be construed as a pointer to his innocence. Rather, it shows that the investigating agency chose to be sure and collected sufficient evidence against the petitioner before initiating any proceedings to arrest him,” the bench stated.
The court further emphasized that custodial interrogation is necessary to uncover intricate details of the modus-operandi and other similar instances of bill clearance.
“Some other training providers have already come forward alleging that even in their cases, the petitioner had accepted illegal gratification. There is a strong apprehension that the petitioner, because of his position, will try to influence witnesses,” Justice Gill added.
The case stems from an FIR registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act and sections 381 and 120 of the IPC, based on a complaint filed by Rinku Manchanda, an educational institute owner and a training partner under the Haryana Skill Development Mission. Manchanda alleged that an outstanding payment of Rs 50 lakh was due to him from the Skill Department in Panchkula, which he had been pursuing for nearly three years without success.
Manchanda approached Deepak Sharma, a CSO in the Skill Department, regarding the unpaid bills. Sharma allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 5 lakh to clear the bills. When the payments remained pending, Sharma suggested that Manchanda contact Poonam Chopra, an acquaintance of Dahiya, the Commissioner of Haryana Skill Department in Panchkula.
Chopra, in turn, demanded Rs 5 lakh to facilitate the clearance of the bills. Manchanda agreed and paid Rs 2 lakh to Chopra. After Manchanda decided not to make the remaining payment, he reported the matter to the Vigilance Bureau, leading to the filing of the FIR. A trap was set, resulting in the apprehension of Chopra accepting Rs 3 lakh in illegal gratification from Manchanda in a parking area in Panchkula.
According to the prosecution, Chopra confessed that Manchanda had approached her regarding the bill clearance, and she had subsequently discussed it with Vijay Singh Dahiya. They reached an agreement for a bribe of Rs 5 lakh, and Chopra had already received Rs 2 lakh from the complainant.
Furthermore, Rs 2 lakh was recovered from Chopra’s office drawer in Janakpuri, Delhi, and Deepak Sharma was also arrested. Upon apprehending Chopra, she disclosed that Dahiya was waiting for her at a café in Chandigarh, where she was supposed to hand over the bribe amount of Rs 3 lakh. The authorities accompanied Chopra to the designated location, where Dahiya was already present, and they spent about an hour together, having snacks.
Dahiya was summoned for interrogation at the Anti-Corruption Bureau in Panchkula, where he was questioned and subsequently released. Dahiya’s counsel argued that he was falsely implicated and that there was no credible evidence to support the claims of him demanding or accepting bribes. The counsel contended that, at best, the prosecution could establish that the complainant had paid an amount to Poonam Chopra, who was known to the petitioner.
