Graft case: Woman judge's husband, LC sent to judicial custody

A special court today remanded the lawyer husband of a senior civil woman judge, arrested in a graft case, and a local commissioner in 14 days judicial custody.

Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal sent Alok Lakhanpal, a practicing lawyer, and advocate and local commissioner (LC) Vishal Mehan to jail after the CBI said they were not required for custodial interrogation.

Alok, husband of Rachna Tiwari Lakhanpal who was a senior civil judge at Tis Hazari Court, and Vishal were produced before the court after expiry of their two-day CBI custody.
The judge is currently in judicial custody and her bail application would be heard by the court on October 3.

The three accused were arrested by CBI on September 29. According to CBI, the judge and her husband were arrested while allegedly receiving a bribe of Rs 4 lakh from Vishal, who was appointed as local commissioner in a case adjudicated by her, at her Gulabi Bagh residence here.

CBI has said during searches at the judge's residence, Rs 94 lakh case was seized by it along with two locker keys and other material. "A case was registered under Prevention of Corruption Act against the advocate on a complaint alleging that in a matter being heard by a Senior Civil Judge (West), Tis Hazari Courts, Delhi, she had appointed him as local commissioner for conducting an inspection of the disputed property and submitting his report.

"The advocate (appointed as LC) allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs two lakh for himself as well as Rs 20 lakh for the said senior civil judge for deciding the matter in favour of the complainant," it has said.

It further said CBI teams laid a trap at the designated place where the bribe was to be allegedly paid by Vishal. As the bribe was being allegedly paid, CBI teams swung into action and nabbed Vishal while he was "receiving" Rs 5 lakh purportedly on behalf of Lakhanpal, it has said.

The team then took the accused advocate to the residence of the judge where he allegedly handed over Rs 5 lakh to Lakhanpal while she gave Rs one lakh to the lawyer as his cut, it said, adding that Rs 5 lakh alleged bribe amount was also recovered by CBI.