Journalist Upendra Rai to remain in CBI custody for two more days

Journalist Upendra Rai, arrested for his alleged involvement in dubious financial transactions, would remain in CBI custody for two more days, with a Delhi court today extending his remand.

Special CBI Judge Santosh Snehi Mann extended the custody of Rai, who was produced before the court on the expiry of his three-day CBI remand, after the agency said he was non-cooperative and evasive in his replies.

Public prosecutor Manoj Shukla, while seeking a seven-day remand, said some secretive and sensitive documents were recovered from him which were not supposed to be in the possession of a common man.

He needs to be interrogated regarding procurement of these documents, the CBI's counsel said, adding that several new facts have come to light during the last three days which were to be probed.
 

Rai's counsel said there was no fresh ground for seeking extension of his custody as all the documents were already in public domain and have been recovered from his possession.

The CBI had on May 3 arrested the Delhi-based scribe for allegedly indulging in dubious financial transactions and getting an airport access pass made by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) by furnishing false information.

The court had earlier sent Rai to three-day CBI custody after the agency said several incriminating material were recovered during the probe and he has not been cooperating in the investigation.
 

Rai's counsel had said he was was neither hiding, nor running away and his custody was not required to complete the probe. He had said Rai has neither tampered with the evidence nor there was any allegation that he has tried to influence any witness.

The Supreme Court had on May 4 refused to interfere with his arrest. In his application seeking protection from arrest, Rai had claimed he was framed in the case as he has been writing against an ED officer who was part of the team probing the 2G spectrum allocation scam case.
 

Prasun Roy, chief security officer of Air One Aviation Pvt Ltd, was also booked by the CBI in the case. The probe agency had carried out searches at eight locations in Lucknow, Noida, Delhi and Mumbai. 

In its FIR, the agency has alleged that going by the value of the transactions of over Rs one lakh during 2017, Rai's accounts received Rs 79 crore while Rs 78.51 crore was debited from it during the same period.