The Supreme Court on Friday granted relief to suspended Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Aditya Kumar and directed the Bihar government not to take coercive action until further orders.
The suspended officer is facing charges of corruption and criminal conspiracy in a liquor prohibition case during his tenure as Gaya senior superintended of police (SSP).
Hearing the plea filed by advocate Mukul Rohogi on behalf of Aditya Kumar, a Supreme Court bench of justices Krishna Murari and PV Sanjay Kumar said that no coercive action shall be taken against Aditya Kumar.
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“Considering the facts and circumstances, no coercive action shall be taken against the petitioner in the meantime,” read the apex court order.
A first information report (FIR) by Bihar’s economic offences was registered against Aditya and four others on charges of cheating, impersonation, extortion and other offences in October last year based on the statement of deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Bhaskar Ranjan.
According to the FIR, the IPS officer, co-accused, Abhishek Agrawal alias Abhishek Bhopalika and others attached a plan to dupe the then director general of police (DGP) Sanjiv Kumar Singhal in the name of the then chief justice of Patna high court to drop a corruption case against him.
{{/usCountry}}According to the FIR, the IPS officer, co-accused, Abhishek Agrawal alias Abhishek Bhopalika and others attached a plan to dupe the then director general of police (DGP) Sanjiv Kumar Singhal in the name of the then chief justice of Patna high court to drop a corruption case against him.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, the single bench of Patna high court rejected the anticipatory bail petition of Aditya Kumar. “Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, as well as, the fact that there is ample evidence against the petitioner (Kumar) in the form of electronic evidence also, which not only discloses but also establishes the connivance, collusion and active participation of the petitioner as a mastermind, who got the plan executed through co-accused Abhishek Agrawal alias Abhishek Bhopalika, I am not inclined to enlarge the petitioner on anticipatory bail,” read the order issued by justice Anjani Kumar Sharan on March 21.
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The IPS officer later moved Supreme Court and filed a special leave petition.
On Friday, the Apex court issued notice responding to a plea by Aditya Kumar and granted him protection from arrest.