Enforcement Directorate Deputy Director Secures Bail After Bribery Arrest

Bail Granted to ED Official and Associate

In Cuttack, Chintan Raghuvanshi, a deputy director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), was released from Jharapada jail in Bhubaneswar on Friday evening, following the Orissa High Court's decision to grant him bail. His release came a day after the court approved bail for his associate, Bhakti Binod Behera, who was implicated in the same bribery case. Justice Gourishankar Satapathy permitted their bail requests through a unified ruling, imposing strict conditions.

Both Raghuvanshi and Behera were apprehended by the CBI in Bhubaneswar while allegedly accepting a bribe from a local mining entrepreneur. The CBI reported that Raghuvanshi initially demanded a bribe of Rs 5 crore, which was later negotiated down to Rs 2 crore, with Rs 20 lakh already paid as an installment. This amount was solicited in exchange for not arresting the businessman or seizing his assets related to 12 ongoing financial irregularity cases with the ED.

Earlier this month, Raghuvanshi had been granted temporary bail for ten days to attend to his sick wife and their newborn child, but he returned to custody once the interim period ended. His attorney, Lalitendu Mishra, confirmed that Raghuvanshi was released after the necessary documentation was presented to the jail officials.

Mishra, along with senior lawyers Ashok Kumar Parija and Soura Chandra Mohapatra, represented Raghuvanshi in court. The High Court noted that the investigation had progressed significantly and indicated that a trial was not imminent. The court emphasized that bail is generally the norm, while incarceration should be the exception. Consequently, both Raghuvanshi and Behera were granted bail upon providing bonds of Rs 1 lakh each, along with two solvent sureties to the satisfaction of the trial court.