Nagpur: In a big relief to the Managing Director of L-7 Group Ravi Agrawal, Justice Sunil B Shukre of the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court granted Confirmed Anticipatory Bail to him on September 14, 2016. Ravi Agrawal is accused in the Dabba Scam which rocked the city.
The investigating agency attempted to create much clout naming Agrawal as the mastermind or kingpin of the trade, however all such wild claims fell flat on face when in spite of passage of nearly 4 months, the Investigating agency could not bring forth any incriminating material against Agrawal.
The Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court on Wednesday the September 14, 2016 granted Confirmed Anticipatory Bail to Ravi Omprakash Agrawal in the Dabba trading scam, wherein he is dubbed as the Kingpin of Dabba trade.
Following the suspicion and discreet tip off, the premises of L7 Group were raided on May 12, 2016. However the case lost much of the steam since police did not find any incriminating material at the said raid and Panchanama recorded that no suspicious articles are found.
The investigation so far carried out by the Special Investigating Team formed after few weeks of the raid, could not pin point any concrete case against the accused Agrawal. The crime branch and EOW had made unsubstantiated allegations against the accused Agrawal including that he was absconding from India following the raids at L7 office on May 12, and May 13, 2016.
The Police were left clueless when the accused submitted his domestic and international boarding passes as well as passport copy showing that he had duly travelled outside the country on May 10, 2016 and these tickets were bought on May 8, 2016.
The allegations of the Police further fell on face that Ravi Agrawal was the Director in concerned company. The prosecution was left red faced when Agrawal filed cogent documents reflecting that he had ceased to be director after July 2014. The Prosecution chose to refrain from answering these issues in its reply as well as additional reply only indicating that the grounds raised by Agrawal were truthful.
The entire effort of the prosecution was perhaps only to create a huge clout against the persons arrayed as accused in the matter without any substantial and reliable material against them. The grounds raised regarding colossal losses caused to government exchequer also were left unsupported.
Earlier while granting regular bail to Neeraj Agrawal, the High Court had observed that the Prosecution could not even establish a prima facie case against the said accused and case put forth in High Court was contradictory to the investigation as reflected in Panchanama dated May 12, 2016.
The Special Court had rejected the pre arrest bail of Ravi Agrawal on July 2, 2016. The accused then moved the High Court, which had granted interim bail to him putting strict conditions upon him. The accused thus joined the investigation and attended the Office of Investigation Officer Crime Branch on a daily basis for over 18 days and was subjected to intense Interrogation for nearly 60 hours.
The matter before the High Court was filed in second week of July and another curious feature at the High Court proceedings unfolded when the APP representing the State repeatedly sought adjournments in the matter and it is learnt that the state sought time on as many as 7 dates inviting the wrath of the Judge, leading to these aspects reflecting in its orders passed earlier in the proceedings.
The State at the last minute also requested the court to grant time, since it wanted the Government Pleader Dangre to argue the matter. However finally the APP argued the matter and court had closed matter for orders.
The High Court while pronouncing the operative part today granted the bail and directed the applicant to follow strict conditions imposed while granting interim bail.
Senior Advocate Avinash Gupta along with Adv Aakash Gupta appeared for the accused. APP Doifode represented the State.
Dabba Trading : Ravi Agrawal of L-7 Group granted anticipatory bail