Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has dismissed the case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against social activist and journalist Binu Varghese, thereby discharging him from an alleged extortion case registered in 2021.
Prosecution Cites Lack Of Evidence
In its order, the court noted that the prosecution had informed the court that no material was available, post-investigation, to prosecute Varghese. As a result, he was not chargesheeted before the Thane trial court.
Case Background
The case stemmed from an FIR that alleged Varghese was present in the same room with a police officer when complainant Ketan Tanna purportedly delivered money to the officer at the Anti-Extortion Cell in Thane.
Varghese Excluded From Chargesheet
Varghese had been arrested in connection with the alleged extortion case registered against former Mumbai Police Commissioner IPS Param Bir Singh and 28 others by alleged cricket bookie Sonu Jalan at Thane Nagar Police Station. The CBI recently filed a 5,000-page chargesheet naming eight individuals, including senior police officers, but excluded Varghese.
“As per Section 169 of the CrPC, due to lack of evidence against the concerned individual during the investigation, their name has been dropped from the chargesheet,” the prosecution stated.
According to the FIR, in addition to allegedly extorting Rs 1.25 crore from Tanna, the accused had also extorted over Rs 3 crore from his associate and alleged bookie Sonu Jalan.
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Activist Speaks Out
Speaking to FPJ after the court’s order, Varghese said, “Yes, I had reported the news of Sonu Jalan’s arrest by the Anti-Extortion Cell and had also posted his photos. He had verbally threatened me, saying ‘Dekh lunga tumko.’ I believe it was an afterthought that he mentioned my name at the 20th place in the FIR only to harass me. But I believe in justice — and justice always prevails.”
