The CBI secured one-day custody of NCLT Deputy Registrar Charan Pratap Singh in a ₹3 lakh bribery case tied to a Lonavala hotel dispute. Learn how new evidence and digital forensics are expanding the scope of this high-profile corruption probe.

CBI Secures One-Day Custody of NCLT Deputy Registrar in ₹3 Lakh Bribery Case

On June 10, a special court in Mumbai granted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) one-day custody of Deputy Registrar Charan Pratap Singh of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) Mumbai Bench. Singh, along with assistant Karsan Ganesh Ahir, had been in judicial custody since May 29 for allegedly accepting a ₹3 lakh bribe in a case involving a Lonavala hotel ownership dispute.

Legal Defense Invokes BNSS to Oppose Extended Custody

Singh’s legal counsel, Sak Saxena, filed a bail application invoking the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Saxena argued that further police custody is not permitted once judicial custody is granted, unless compelling new evidence emerges. He stressed that procedures like witness confrontation and document verification could be conducted within judicial custody itself.

New Witness Testimony Justifies Further Interrogation

The CBI introduced fresh witness statements recorded after the initial May 29 remand, which hinted at broader collusion within NCLT ranks. Based on this new testimony, the court approved a one-day police remand, enabling deeper interrogation under CBI custody.

Bribery Charges Linked to Lonavala Hotel Dispute

According to the CBI, Singh demanded ₹3 lakh from a businessman involved in a property dispute at the NCLT concerning a hotel in Lonavala. He instructed his assistant Ahir to collect the bribe during a meeting in Colaba, where a sting operation led to their immediate arrest.

Further investigation revealed that Singh transferred ₹50,000 to fellow NCLT officer Pradeep Kumar Nagarale, believed to be a portion of the bribe. Additionally, the CBI recovered deleted WhatsApp chats from the mobile devices of Singh and Nagarale, now under forensic examination.

Digital Forensics and a Widening Corruption Probe

The CBI is employing advanced digital forensics to reconstruct deleted messages, analyze metadata, and trace digital footprints. These efforts aim to identify more potential accomplices within the tribunal. The investigation suggests a larger corruption network possibly involving senior staff members at the NCLT.

The one-day remand was strategically sought to close critical gaps in the investigation, which could lead to extended custody or additional arrests.

Judicial Oversight as CBI Pursues Tribunal Corruption

This high-profile bribery case underscores the growing scrutiny of administrative corruption in India’s quasi-judicial institutions. With digital evidence and key testimonies surfacing, the probe could become a landmark in tackling tribunal-level graft. Singh’s one-day CBI custody signifies a crucial step toward justice—balancing legal procedure with effective enforcement.