SUSHANT PRASHAR Vs. CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard Sri Pranjal Krishna, the learned counsel for the applicant in Bail Application Nos. 7025/2025 and 7244/2025 and Sri Purnendu Chakravarty in Bail Application Nos. 7518/2025 and 6252/2025, Sri Pranshu Agrawal in Bail Application No. 6155/2025, Sri Himanshu Hemant Gupta in Bail Application no. 7067/2025, Sri Satendra Kumar Singh and Sri Shivam in Bail Application 6553/2025, Sri Manoj Kumar Mishra and Sri Vinay Kumar in Bail Application No. 7700/2025 and Sri Aakash Prasad, the learned counsel for the respondent - Central Bureau of Investigation assisted by Shri Shashwat Dwivedi, Advocate.

(2.) The aforesaid case arises out of a First Information Report bearing no. RC0062025A0007 dtd. 3/3/2025 registered at CBI/ACB under Sec. 61(2) r/w 318(3) and 316(5) of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (which will hereinafter be referred to as 'BNS') read with Ss. 7, 7A and 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (which will hereinafter be referred to as 'PC Act') against 9 persons including the applicants in Bail Application Nos. 7025/2025, 6553/2025, 7067/2025, 6155/2025 and not including the applicants in Bail Application nos. 7700/2025, 6252/2025, 7244/2025 and 7518/2025 stating that the accused persons had hatched a criminal conspiracy in connivance with certain appearing candidates to leak the question paper for the departmental examination for the post of Chief Loco Inspector (CLI) in East Central Railways (ECR), Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDA) Nagar in exchange of illegal gratification, which examination was proposed to be conducted on 4/3/2025.

(3.) The CBI apprehended accused persons Niraj Kumar Verma, Ajit Kumar Singh and Sanjay Kumar Mishra in the evening of 3/3/2025 while they were together. The CBI team raided three different locations - (1) the residence of Deepak Prakash Jyoti, Loco Pilot Goods, DDU, ECR, (2) Raj Marriage Lawn, DDU and (3) Residence of Rakesh Kumar, Loco Pilot Passenger, DDU, ECR, and found that several candidates were memorizing the leaked questions with answers which tallied with the questions available in the Test Booklet / Question Paper, on the basis of which an examination was to be held on 4/3/2025. The CBI arrested 17 candidates from the three locations. Rs.1.14 crores cash and documents containing the leaked questions with answers, as well as the Test Booklet / Question Paper on which the exam was supposed to be held on 04. 03.2025 were recovered and seized by the CBI during the investigation.