Paddy scam (Haryana): Bail pleas of key market officials rejected
By Parveen Arora
In a setback to former Karnal Market Committee secretary Asha Rani and Jundla Market Committee secretary Deepak Suhag, the court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) Sudhir Kumar has rejected their regular bail applications in connection with the alleged “ghost” paddy procurement scam during the 2025-26 season.
In a related development, the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Rajnish Kumar Sharma dismissed the anticipatory bail pleas of Indri Market Committee secretary Jasbir Singh and Yashpal Kumar, auction recorder of the Taraori and Karnal Market Committees.
Jasbir Singh is an accused in an FIR registered at Butana Police Station, while Yashpal Kumar has been named in a case lodged at Sadar Police Station over alleged irregularities in paddy procurement, said District Attorney Dr Pankaj Saini.
Meanwhile, the court of Civil Judge (Junior Division)-cum-Judicial Magistrate Ritiz Arora reserved its order on the regular bail application of Randhir Singh, Inspector with the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, in connection with an FIR registered at Butana Police Station, he added.
In contrast, the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Ramawatar Pareek granted interim bail to seven persons, including Taraori Market Committee secretary Sanjeev Kumar, Inspector Lokesh Kumar of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, and five arhtiyas and millers.
“As many as 12 regular and anticipatory bail applications of different accused were listed in various courts in connection with the paddy scam cases registered at different police stations. Our team members, along with the Special Investigation Team (SIT), strongly opposed the bail pleas. Two regular bails and two anticipatory bails have been rejected by different courts, while one regular bail has been kept pending for February 26. Seven accused have been granted interim bail on the condition of joining the investigation. The next date of hearing for these seven accused has been fixed for February 27,” said Dr Saini.
This article has been republished from The Tribune.