Syndicate Bank CMD remanded in judicial custody till Aug 29

A Special CBI judge today warned of action against the accused in Syndicate Bank bribery case if they do not stop attempts to influence her as it remanded the bank's suspended CMD Sudhir Kumar Jain and others to judicial custody till August 29.

"Please tell your clients to stop sending love letters to me. I am already from a well off background, If you don't stop this act, I will direct CBI to take action against you," Special CBI Judge Swarana Kanta Sharma said during the hearing. She pulled up the accused and asked their counsel to make them behave properly.

Bhushan Steel Ltd Vice Chairman Neeraj Singal, Chief Financial Officer of Bhushan Steel Ltd Arun Agarwal, Vineet Godha, Puneet Godha and Vijay Pahuja were the other accused who were sent to judicial custody.

Jain, who was suspended as chairman and managing director after his arrest early this month, and Singal were produced in court after expiry of their judicial custody while the other accused were brought from jail on court's production warrants. The court, on August 12, had issued production warrants against them.

CBI has filed two cases against Jain -- accusing him of receiving a bribe of Rs 50 lakh through conduits and abusing his official position to enhance the credit limits of some companies in violation of laid-down procedures.

Singal was arrested by CBI on August 7, hours after the court had issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against him and an alleged middleman, Purushotam Totlani in the case.On August 2, CBI had arrested six accused, including Jain and Agarwal.

CBI claimed to have recovered Rs 21 lakh in cash from Jain's residence besides gold worth Rs 1.68 crore and documents of fixed deposits of up to Rs 63 lakh.

In the two FIRs, CBI has named Singal, Ved Prakash Agarwal, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Prakash Industries, Pawan Bansal, chartered accountant, Vineet and Puneet Godha (relatives of Jain), Vijay Pahuja, Totlani and Pankaj Bansal.

They have been booked under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and criminal conspiracy under the IPC.