The searches were conducted hours after Rajinder Singh Rana, member of the Bar Council of India, was detained by the CBI in New Delhi on Monday night in connection with a corruption case. Both Dhanapal Raj and Rana are members of the council's Legal Education Committee. Apart from the office/residence of Raj, searches were also conducted in the house of his relative. A total of Rs.74 lakh were seized during the operation that concluded late on Tuesday, the sources added.
The Madras High Court on Tuesday granted interim anticipatory bail for four weeks to Dhanapal Raj and his brother-in-law, A. Chandrasekar, in connection with the case of corruption registered against them.
Justice Aruna Jagadeesan granted the interim advance bail on a petition by the two who said that they apprehended arrest by CBI for a case registered under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) IPC and Sections 7,8, 12, 13 (2) read with 13 (1) (d) of Prevention of Corruption Act. The petitioners submitted that during searches in Mr. Raj's house on Monday, Rs.28.50 lakh was found in a bag with a Bar Council member, Adikesavulu, and Rs.60,000 was found in a bedroom. A sum of Rs.45 lakh was seized from the residence of his brother-in-law.
They said they were innocent. They had sufficient proof to submit that the currency seized was accounted for. It was kept for the purchase of land. The money recovered from Mr. Chandrasekar's residence belonged to his family members. There were proper accounts to show valid possession. The other records had nothing to do with the case registered. The petitioners were ready to offer explanation to the CBI. They would cooperate with the investigating agency.
Mr. Dhanapal Raj said he had put in 30 years of experience at the Bar and held several dignified posts. Further, he was appearing as prosecutor for many Central and State Government agencies.
The petitioners said they were ready to abide by any conditions that would be imposed by the court.
In her order, Ms. Justice Aruna Jagadeesan said the petitioners should be released on bail in the event of their arrest or their appearance before the CMM, Egmore, on their executing a personal bond each for Rs.50,000.
Within four weeks, they should appear before the concerned court of jurisdiction for anticipatory bail. They should not tamper with the two bank lockers which were yet to be opened. The other conditions included that they should not leave the country without the court's permission. They should make themselves available for interrogation.
