Court orders 10 to appear with all documents in police bribery case

New Delhi, Sep 16 (UNI) A CBI court today summoned the Investigation Officer (IO) of the July 1999 case concerning the arrest of an Inspector and a Head Constable of the Narcotics Cell (Delhi Police) and fixed September 23 to appear before it with all related documents.

CBI Special judge G P Mittal issued the order after examining the third 'closure' (of the case) filed by the central agency in order to protect the police officials -- Inspector Satbir Singh and Head Constable Surender -- despite them being caught red-handed accepting the 'first instalment' of the bribe on July 22, 1992.

Accused Sajjan Ali, caught on June 19, 1992 with one kilogram opium and 100 gram heroin, had accused them of asking for Rs 20,000 to 'not oppose his parole plea'.

The CBI had first asked for 'closure' in October 27, 1993 saying there was no case against them, rejecting which the court ordered further investigation into the case on October 18, 1995.

In its second 'closure' on October 16, 1997 the CBI had stated that the 'deal' of Rs 20,000 struck between the accused and the Inspector could have been possible as Sajjan Ali was then in judicial custody and had been produced in Shahdara court on the day of the deal, while the same day Inspector Satbir had appeared in Tis Hazari court and later gone to Uttar Pradesh.

This too was rejected by the court on October 26, the same year.

In its third 'closure' the CBI said as Sajjan Ali had died in 2001 and the two independent witnesses did not support the prosecution charges, the case should be closed.

UNI XC-AN MS RK1735