In a recent ruling, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has rejected the bail pleas of Sunit Khajuria, the chief engineer of the USBRL project, and Rajesh Kumar Jain, a director of a private company based in Uttar Pradesh. Both individuals were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) last month on charges of bribery linked to the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project.
Justice Sanjay Dhar of the single-judge bench delivered the decision on Tuesday, upholding the arguments presented by CBI counsel and Senior Additional Advocate General Monika Kohli. The judgment came after careful consideration of the details presented, with the court having reserved its decision on March 12.
The CBI’s investigation revealed that Khajuria and Jain were caught red-handed on February 8 while exchanging a bribe of Rs 9,42,500 to expedite the clearance of pending bills for Paras Railtech Private Limited. This company is involved in constructing the Katra-Dharam section of the USBRL project. Furthermore, an additional Rs 73.11 lakh was discovered at Khajuria’s residence, believed to be illicit gains from various railway contractors, including Jain.
In his 15-page order, Justice Dhar noted the severity of the allegations and the substantial evidence collected during the investigation, including cash recoveries and recorded communications between the accused. He stated, “The investigation is at a crucial stage, and the petitioners’ capacity to influence witnesses or tamper with evidence cannot be overlooked, given their high-ranking positions.”
Justice Dhar emphasized that granting bail at this stage could potentially hinder the ongoing investigation and impact the course of justice, particularly because of the influential positions held by Khajuria and Jain. He also highlighted that the rapid reapplication for bail by the petitioners, without any significant change in circumstances, further discredited their pleas.
