Over 10 years after former Chandigarh deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Ram Chander Meena and a city-based businessman were arrested in a ₹70-lakh graft case, the duo has been convicted by a special CBI court.
In December 2014, Meena, then posted with the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), and businessman Aman Grover were arrested for seeking the bribe from complainant Guneet Kaur to resolve a property dispute case. Then 68 years old, the DSP was subsequently dismissed from service.
On Friday, the special CBI court of judge Alka Malik found both guilty under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The quantum of sentence will be pronounced on Saturday.
Guneet’s parents Gurkirpal Singh Chawla, Jagjit Kaur Chawla and her brother Hamrit Singh Chawla were all booked in a property dispute case by the EOW on the complaint of one Deepa Duggal. The family owns petrol pumps in Mohali and are also restaurateurs, as per the officials.
As per the prosecution, Aman Grover, who is the son-in-law of Deepa Duggal, and owns KLG Hotel, had contacted Guneet, claiming that his friend Sanjay Dahuja, managing director of Berkeley Group in Industrial Area, was in contact with DSP (EOW) Ram Chander Meena and sub-inspector Surinder Kumar, the investigating officer in the said case.
{{/usCountry}}As per the prosecution, Aman Grover, who is the son-in-law of Deepa Duggal, and owns KLG Hotel, had contacted Guneet, claiming that his friend Sanjay Dahuja, managing director of Berkeley Group in Industrial Area, was in contact with DSP (EOW) Ram Chander Meena and sub-inspector Surinder Kumar, the investigating officer in the said case.
{{/usCountry}}Grover had informed Guneet that DSP Meena and SI Surinder had demanded a bribe of ₹70 lakh to broker a compromise between both parties, and not arrest her brother and parents.
As per investigation, ₹40 lakh were to be paid to the EOW officials (through Dahuja) and a postdated cheque for ₹30 lakh to be made out in favour of Deepa Duggal, Grover’s mother-in-law.
On August 13, 2015, as the cash exchanged hands, the two cops, along with Grover and Dahuja, were arrested outside the EOW office in Sector 17.
Four years after the arrests, the CBI court framed charges against three accused on July 24, 2019, as the accused sub-inspector had passed away the same year.
The trio pleaded not guilty and the trial commenced on August 22, 2019.
On January 7, 2020, accused Dahuja filed a plea to turn CBI approver in lieu of a pardon. The court had sought a reply from the CBI, who through their public prosecutor of that time, had said they had no objection to this. He was subsequently directed to appear before the additional chief judicial magistrate for recording his statement, and did not undergo trial.