In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Thursday extended protection to former Noida Authority chief engineer Yadav Singh, shielding him from arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a high-profile corruption case. The case pertains to allegations that Singh expedited the execution of 1,280 maintenance contracts valued at approximately Rs 954 crore over a span of just eight days in December 2011.
A bench led by Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Prasant Kumar Mishra acknowledged the arguments presented by senior advocate NK Kaul, representing Singh. The bench responded to the issuance of a bailable warrant against Singh, following a supplementary charge sheet by the CBI.
The proceedings have been adjourned, with the court scheduling the next hearing four weeks from now. During the interim, Singh’s legal counsel highlighted the Supreme Court’s previous decision to grant bail after Singh’s incarceration exceeding three years, emphasizing his current concerns over potential rearrest due to the new supplementary charge sheet.
The court has ordered, “There shall be no coercive action against the petitioner,” concurrently issuing a notice to the CBI regarding Singh’s latest bail plea.
Previously, on October 1, 2019, the Supreme Court granted bail to Singh, with conditions to be determined by the trial court. This decision came amidst concerns voiced by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta regarding potential evidence tampering.
Furthermore, on October 25, 2019, Singh was granted bail in a separate money laundering case initiated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which had followed charges levied in 2015. These charges were based on an initial FIR by the CBI.
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The backdrop of this legal saga includes a raid by the Income Tax Department in November 2014, which suggested that Singh’s assets were significantly disproportionate to his official earnings, leading to his suspension by the Uttar Pradesh government at the time. This prompted the Allahabad High Court in July 2015 to direct the CBI to take over the investigation, citing the grave nature of the allegations.
