CBI court releases CPRI Joint Director on bail in alleged bribe-for-Test-Report case

New Delhi [India], February 7 (ANI): A special CBI court at Rouse Avenue Courts has observed that once the primary investigation is complete, bail cannot be denied merely to send a message to society or to address public sentiment.
The court noted that at the stage of deciding bail, a detailed examination of evidence is not warranted, and the court must strike a balance between the personal liberty of the accused and the larger public interest.
Taking into account that the accused had spent nearly 30 days in custody and that further custodial interrogation was not required, the court held that continued detention was not justified.
These observations were made while granting regular bail to Rajaram Mohanrao Chennu, Joint Director at the Central Power Research Institute (CPRI), in a case registered by the CBI under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The bail application was argued by advocates Anindya Malhotra, Shaurya Lamba and Durgesh on behalf of the accused, while the prosecution was represented by senior public prosecutor M Saraswat and public prosecutor Pankaj Kumar Gupta.
As per the prosecution's case, the FIR was registered on January 8, 2026, based on source information alleging that the accused had demanded a bribe for issuing favourable quality test reports for electrical equipment at the High Power Lab of CPRI in Bengaluru.
It was alleged that a demand of Rs 10 lakh was made in December 2025, and the total bribe amount later discussed reached Rs 14 lakh. The CBI claimed that the money was routed through hawala channels and that a trap was laid at a hotel in Bengaluru on January 8, 2026, where Rs 9.49 lakh was recovered from the accused after it was handed over by a co-accused. Intercepted calls, CCTV footage and digital devices were also cited as part of the evidence collected duringthe investigation.
During the hearing, Anindya Malhotra argued that the accused had clean antecedents, deep roots in society and had already been suspended from service after registration of the FIR, reducing any possibility of influencing witnesses.
It was also submitted that on the date when the alleged bribe demand was made, no testing report of the concerned company was pending at the CPRI lab, casting doubt on the prosecution's version.
The court noted that co-accused Atul Khanna had already been granted bail and that the investigating officer had examined witnesses and secured documentary evidence.
Considering the period already spent in custody, the stage of investigation and the overall facts of the case, the court granted regular bail to the accused on furnishing a personal bond and one surety of Rs 1 lakh. (ANI)