Army transfer racket: Lt. Col. Moni, middleman's custody extended till July 1

The Patiala House Court on 17 June extended the judicial custody of Lieutenant Colonel Ranganathan Suvramani Moni and alleged middleman Gaurav Kohli in connection with a transfer racket at the Army headquarters in which officers allegedly paid lakh of rupees to manipulate their postings.

The next hearing in this matter is on July 1.

Earlier in the day, Moni and Kohli were produced before a Delhi court here in regard with this matter.

On June 9, the Patiala House Court dismissed Kohli's bail plea.

The court had earlier sent the officer and Kohli to 12-days of judicial custody to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in this matter.

The officer and the middleman were arrested by the CBI and Rs. 2 lakh was also recovered from the Lt. Colonel's residence. Both the accused were produced in a Special CBI Court in Delhi.

An FIR was registered under the Sections 7, 8, 12, 13 (2) r/w 13 (1) (d) of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988 and Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The officers have been charged with criminal conspiracy, demand and acceptance of illegal gratification and using influence over public servants.

It is being alleged that Ranganathan entered into a criminal conspiracy with Kohli, Purshottam and others for ensuring transfer/posting of different officers posted in different field formations to their place of choice in lieu of payment of huge illegal gratification.

Purshottam allegedly contacted army officers, who were either posted in different field formations or facing imminent transfer and desirous of getting a posting at different locations, and then contacted Gaurav Kohli, who had a close acquaintance with many officers posted in the Personnel Division of Army Headquarters, for pursuing the transfer of these officials in lieu of huge illegal gratification to senior officers posted at the Army headquarters.

-ANI