CBI arrests own SP in case involving Enforcement Directorate official

The CBI has arrested its own deputy superintendent of police Balbir Sharma in a bribery case involving an ED assistant director who allegedly sought illegal gratifications from educational institutions being probed in connection with a scholarship scam in Himachal Pradesh, officials said on Tuesday, 21 January.

Sharma, posted at the Special Crime unit of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Delhi, was called for questioning by the agency at its Chandigarh office on Monday, 20 January, in connection with the case, in which Enforcement Directorate (ED) assistant director Vishal Deep was arrested earlier for allegedly seeking a bribe, the officials said.

Sharma was arrested in the evening, they added.

After his arrest, Sharma complained of dizziness and was taken to a hospital, where tests were conducted and the results were satisfactory, the officials said.

He was again medically examined on Tuesday, before his production in a special court, they added.

The special court in Chandigarh sent Sharma to the CBI's custody for a day.

Sharma's family has alleged torture by CBI sleuths, an allegation denied by the agency's officials.

The CBI has so far arrested four people in connection with the case, including the ED assistant director.

It is alleged that Vishal Deep had demanded a bribe of Rs 1.1 crore from Himalayan Group of Professional Institutions chairman Rajnish Bansal for not arresting him in a money-laundering case being probed by the ED.

The amount was brought down after negotiations to Rs 60 lakh, the probe agency had said.

There is a recording of Vishal Deep talking to the complainant before the delivery of the bribe amount and he was present near the spot where the bribe was handed over to co-accused Vikas Deep (his brother) and Niraj (his cousin) by the complainant, the CBI had claimed after his arrest in Mumbai, while seeking his transit remand.

The remand application was rejected by the court on 8 January.

Later, Vishal Deep was again arrested by the agency and is now in judicial custody.