CBI confronts ex-judge's kin with two other accused

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday confronted lawyer Madhaveshwari Mhase-Thube, daughter of a retired Bombay high court judge, with the two accused who were arrested two days before her in connection with the Rs30 lakh bribery case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday confronted lawyer Madhaveshwari Mhase-Thube, daughter of a retired Bombay high court judge, with the two accused who were arrested two days before her in connection with the Rs30 lakh bribery case.

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Mhase-Thube was arrested on Wednesday, two days after Somnath Sutar and Hansraj Singh were arrested while accepting the bribe in Pune.

CBI officials brought Mhase-Thube face-to-face with Sutar and Singh so that they could get some information that would help take the investigation further. The CBI is having a tough time getting information from Mhase-Thube who is maintains a stoic silence or gives evasive replies during interrogation. "Even when she speaks, her replies are not forthcoming," a CBI official said requesting anonymity. After their trap, Sutar and Singh told CBI officials they accepted the bribe amount at the instance of Mhase-Thube and her accomplice Sunil Shirole, also a lawyer, who is untraceable.

Mhase-Thube was arrested for demanding Rs30 lakh bribe from a private company owner to get him a favourable order from the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. The CBI had sought her remand on grounds that it wants to question her with regard to the modus operandi adopted by her and others in commission of the crime.

The CBI also wanted to ascertain the exact role of each accused and also wanted to find out the identity and role of other persons involved in this case.