Delhi Court asks CBI to respond to Upendra Rai's bail plea by June 8

A Delhi court on Thursday sought the response of the CBI by Friday on the bail application of journalist Upendra Rai, arrested by the agency for his alleged involvement in dubious financial transactions.

Special CBI Judge Santosh Snehi Mann gave the direction after the Central Bureau of Investigation asked for time to file a detailed reply on the bail plea.

In his application, Rai has claimed that no purpose would be served by keeping him in further custody. He has claimed he was not required for further custodial interrogation since the CBI's plea for it was rejected by the court on May 9.

Rai, arrested by the CBI on May 3, is currently in judicial custody. The Delhi-based scribe was arrested for allegedly indulging in dubious financial transactions and getting an airport access pass made by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) by furnishing false information.

The Supreme Court had on May 4 refused to interfere with his arrest. In his application seeking protection from arrest, Rai had claimed he was framed in the case because of his writings against an Enforcement Directorate officer who was part of the team probing the 2G spectrum allocation scam case.

Prasun Roy, chief security officer of Air One Aviation Pvt Ltd, was also booked by the CBI, which had carried out searches at eight locations in Lucknow, Noida, Delhi, and Mumbai.

In its FIR, the agency has alleged that going by the value of the transactions of over Rs one lakh during 2017, Rai's accounts received Rs 79 crore while Rs 78.51 crore was debited from it during the same period.

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