The Bombay High Court has rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Harinarayan Bhagirathi Rajbhar, a former Member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh, accused of misusing government letterheads and emblems to fraudulently issue job appointment letters. The court observed that the case involved serious allegations affecting multiple victims across different states.
Justice Milind Jadhav, presiding over the single-judge bench, passed the order on Wednesday, observing that the misuse of the Central Government’s emblem and forged documents suggested a larger conspiracy, not limited to a single instance of cheating.
The case was initiated following a complaint lodged on January 16 by Devendra Singh, who runs an NGO named Ashray in Thane. Singh claimed that in November 2020, Rajbhar issued him an appointment letter for the post of Chairman in the MSME Export Promotion Council (MSME EPC), a private body. However, the letter bore the government emblem and resembled an official central government appointment, misleading Singh into believing it was legitimate.
Singh further alleged that Rajbhar, who is a member of the BJP’s Rashtriya Parishad and Pradesh Karya Samiti, even introduced him to a sitting MP and demanded a Fortuner SUV as a bribe to expedite the appointment.
Appearing for the NGO, advocate Prashant Pandey argued that the fraudulent use of government insignia and letterheads constituted a grave misuse of public trust. Additional public prosecutor Rutuja A Ambekar informed the court that at least 11 similar appointment letters, signed by Rajbhar and addressed to individuals in states like Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, had been found during the investigation.
Ambekar also submitted that Rajbhar never filed any complaint against individuals allegedly misusing his signature, weakening his defense.
Rajbhar’s counsel, advocate K.H. Giri, contended that the former MP, who had studied only up to Class 2 in a vernacular medium, lacked the understanding of the English content of the documents he signed. Giri maintained that Rajbhar did not receive any money for the fake appointments and resigned from the MSME EPC post as soon as he became aware of the misuse.
The court, however, found the explanation unconvincing. “This case is not restricted to one individual but involves multiple appointments using fraudulent means. The nature and extent of the accusations, supported by documentary evidence, require custodial interrogation,” the court stated.
Rajbhar served as an MLA from Belthra Road constituency between 1991–92 and 1996–2002, and held ministerial positions in the Uttar Pradesh government. He was later elected as a Member of Parliament from Ghosi in 2014 on a BJP ticket and served till 2019.
