No objection to bail for 82-year-old: CBI

The CBI on Saturday told a Delhi court that it has no objection to granting bail to an 82-year-old retired bureaucrat, a co-accused with former Union minister Arun Nehru in the 1988 pistol purchase deal scam, on grounds of his old age and poor health.

“The CBI has no objection if the accused (B P Singhal) is allowed bail in the case, being a senior citizen and suffering from multiple ailments as claimed by him, subject to the normal condition being imposed for bail,” the agency told a special CBI judge.

It was alleged in the FIR that former minister of state for home Nehru along with B P Singhal, then additional secretary in the ministry, and former director A K Verma conspired and caused a loss of Rs 25 lakh to the exchequer in a gun deal with Czechoslovakia in 1988.

The court in August 2012 had rejected the probe agency’s closure report, observing that some of the documents reflected involvement of the accused in the conspiracy and had summoned Singhal and Nehru.

Verma had died during the pendency of the case. “It is prayed that the court may pass an order as it deems fit,” CBI said in its reply to the bail plea of Singhal, which was filed on August 30.

Singhal sought bail, saying he is suffering from chronic diseases and had cooperated with the agency during the probe.

He retired in 1995 and had held various prestigious posts. The court also exempted Singhal from personal appearance on the ground that he was hospitalised and fixed the matter for hearing on October 1.