Delhi court extends custody of Chhattisgarh IAS officer

New Delhi: A court here on Monday extended the custody of Chhattisgarh IAS officer B.L. Agrawal and two others in a corruption case.

CBI Special Judge Virender Kumar Goyal allowed the probe agency to further quiz Agrawal, his brother-in-law Anand Agrawal and a private person Bhagwan Singh, a resident of Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh, who are also accused in the case, till March 3.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sought extension of custody on the ground that he has to be confronted with other co-accused.

The court on Monday extended the CBI custody of the Hyderabad-based private person, Syed Burhanuddin, who was arrested on February 23.

Agrawal, along with two others, was arrested on February 21.

The other accused were arrested for their bid to help Agrawal settle a case under investigation by the agency.

The agency on February 18 registered an FIR against Agrawal, Singh, Burhanuddin and others under relevant sections of criminal conspiracy and Prevention of Corruption Act.

The CBI said that the IAS officer had agreed to pay Rs 1.5 crore to Burhanuddin as gratification for helping him in a case being investigated by the agency.

The probe agency alleged that Agrawal first approached Singh over the issue, who arranged his meeting with Burhanuddin on February 11 in Delhi. Burhanuddin told the Chhattisgarh officer that he works in the Prime Minister’s Office and would easily settle the matter in his favour in lieu of Rs 1.5 crore gratification.

The officer said that Burhanuddin also assured Agrawal that he would get the case transferred from the CBI to the Chhattisgarh Economic Offences Wing.

IANS