A city court on Monday granted bail to Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, charge sheeted along with controversial businessman Abhishek Verma in an alleged forgery case, of a letter sent to the Prime Minister.
“Bail is granted on a personal bond of `2 lakh with two sureties of the like amount subject to conditions,” Special CBI Judge VK Gupta said. Tytler had appeared in court on Monday in pursuance to its summons and had moved a bail plea, saying that he was not required for any custodial interrogation.
Senior advocate Dinesh Mathur, appearing for Tytler, said the Congress leader’s name was added in the charge-sheet as an accused at the last moment and it cannot be a case of arrest as he has appeared before the court. Section 420 (cheating) of IPC is not made out against Tytler, he argued.
The bail application was opposed by CBI prosecutor Atul Sharma who argued that Tytler is a “very influential person” and can tamper with evidence and influence witnesses. The court, on September 6, had taken cognisance of CBI’s charge-sheet which was filed on a complaint of then Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Maken that a forged letter on his letterhead was written to the PM by Verma seeking easing of business visa norms in 2009.
Tytler and Verma have been booked for offence of attempting to cheat under the IPC and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Verma is lodged in Tihar Jail after being arrested in various cases lodged by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate. The CBI has alleged that Tytler had “actively connived” with Verma to cheat a Chinese telecom firm and the Congress leader had first shown a “fake and forged” letter to the company’s officials, claiming that it was written by Maken to the PM.
The CBI, in its charge-sheet, has said, “Investigation has, therefore, revealed that Jagdish Tytler had knowingly and actively connived with Abhishek Verma in attempting to cheat M/s ZTE Telecom India Pvt ltd.”