Dahiya moves pre-arrest bail petition, denies taking bribe

Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday issued notice to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Haryana on a plea filed by IAS Vijay Dahiya, who is facing arrest in a corruption case, seeking anticipatory bail. While adjourning the hearing of the case for May 24, Justice G S Gill asked the ACB to submit its reply on Dahiya’s contentions.On May 3, a Panchkula court had rejected Dahiya’s anticipatory bail. The ACB had registered an FIR against him in Panchkula on April 20 for corruption charges. Claiming false implication in the case, Dahiya, who was posted as commissioner and secretary to government, Haryana, youth empowerment and entrepreneurship department at the time of FIR, has submitted that under Prevention of Corruption Act, there must be a clear demand and acceptance of the bribe amount. However, in the case, there is neither any demand by him nor any acceptance of bribe or any illegal gratification by him.“Even acceptance of the bribe amount was on the part of co-accused Poonam Chopra only, who is a private person.... no prima facie offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act is made out against the petitioner. The petitioner has been implicated merely for the reason that he is known to co-accused Poonam Chopra and by manipulating this acquaintance, prosecution attempted to concoct a story that the petitioner is also an accused in the case. The police have tried to trap the petitioner in Cafe Tonino, Chandigarh, but failed to get any evidence,” Dahiya has submitted in his plea.Dahiya also informed the HC that when he stepped out of a cafe where the ACB had arrested Chopra, he was picked up by the ACB officials in his official car and forcibly taken to ACB, Panchkula. He was questioned for around three hours by the ACB during which he cooperated and was released after keeping his mobile phone and smart watch. The said phone is still in the custody of ACB. As per Dahiya, even the alleged chat between him and Chopra does not substantiate the allegations of prosecution as the petitioner has neither demanded any bribe nor asked anybody to demand bribe on his behalf in the said chat.
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