New Delhi, Aug 12 The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused anticipatory bail to the former director of the Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP) at Kanke in Ranchi district in Jharkhand in the alleged recruitment scam, terming the allegation against him as very grave.
A bench of Justices Sandeep Mehta and Manmohan dismissed his anticipatory bail petition and directed former director Daya Ram to surrender before the court in two weeks.
"Allegations against you are very grave. We are not inclined to interfere with the Jharkhand High Court order declining anticipatory bail,” the bench told the counsel appearing for Ram.
It ordered, "Having regard to the nature and gravity of allegations levelled against the petitioner, we are not inclined to extend the indulgence of pre-arrest bail to the petitioner. Hence, the special leave petition is dismissed."
The CIP is one of the premier institutes on mental health in the country and comes under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The top court noted that Daya Ram worked as administrative officer in CIP, Kanke between 2000 and January 2013 and director of the institute from January 2013 till February 14, 2021, and ultimately, superannuated in January, 2024.
The bench ordered that "the petitioner was granted liberty to surrender before the trial court within two weeks and apply for regular bail. Such application, if filed, shall be considered as per law on its own merits."
Counsel for Daya Ram said that all the alleged offences, including the alleged offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act), are punishable up to maximum period of seven years, and documents have been seized and, therefore, there was no need for custodial interrogation.
He said that most of the allegations do not relate to the period when the petitioner was at the helm of affairs as the director of CIP, Kanke, Ranchi and the allegations are primarily relating to a scam in recruitment made in the institute for mental health.
The bench said he was allegedly involved in the irregularities in connivance with co-accused Nirmalya Chakraborty and Nadeem Ahmad.
On April 16, the Jharkhand High Court dismissed the anticipatory bail application of Daya Ram in the case probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
It noted that on the basis of a written complaint of director Tarun Kumar at CIP, a regular case was registered on January 2 against Daya Ram who was the then director professor, Basudeb Das, Nirmalya Chakraborty, senior Nursing Officer, Nadeem Ahmad, Head Clerk and others.
The high court noted the allegations against Daya Ram and said it was alleged in the complaint that the said officials of CIP, Ranchi, along with unknown private persons, manipulated the recruitment process in 2021 for various posts including nursing officers by violating recruitment rules and due procedure to favour specific candidates.
It further noted that a high proportion of selected candidates, who are related to serving or retired CIP employees or else to private contractors working at CIP, raised doubts about the integrity of the recruitment process.
