Chandigarh: A Chandigarh court on Friday sent accused Raghav Goyal, Ankit Wadhwa and OP Rana, reader to the Punjab Vigilance Bureau chief, to 14 days of judicial custody in the ₹13 lakh bribery case.
The order was passed by the Additional Sessions Judge (Duty), Chandigarh, after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sought judicial custody upon completion of the accused persons’ police remand. The court has fixed June 26 as the next date of hearing and directed that the accused be produced through video conferencing.
The CBI had earlier secured production warrants for Raghav Goyal and Ankit Wadhwa on June 8 and questioned them face-to-face with OP Rana. Sources said the agency obtained significant leads during the interrogation, which could potentially widen the scope of the investigation.
The bribery case came to light after the CBI allegedly caught Ankit Wadhwa, driver of businessman Raghav Goyal, with ₹13 lakh in cash and mobile phones during a trap operation at a hotel in Chandigarh on May 11. Subsequently, businessman Vikas Goyal and his son Raghav Goyal were arrested near Ambala.
OP Rana later surrendered before a special CBI court after legal pressure mounted in the case.
According to sources, investigators examined digital evidence, including chats allegedly exchanged between Raghav Goyal and OP Rana, during the five-day police remand. The agency is believed to have gathered crucial material that may help establish the larger conspiracy behind the alleged bribery network.
Sources further indicated that the findings could lead the investigation towards senior officials within the Vigilance Bureau. The developments have reportedly triggered concern within the department as officials closely monitor the progress of the CBI probe.
