New Delhi, Feb 28: On Friday, the Supreme Court granted pre-arrest bail to former Chhattisgarh Advocate General Satish Chandra Verma in connection with the Nagrik Apurti Nigam (NAN) scam. A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta emphasized the importance of Verma’s cooperation in the ongoing investigation. During the hearing, senior advocate Vivek Tankha and advocate Sumeer Sodhi, representing Verma, argued that the Chhattisgarh High Court had incorrectly stated the necessity for custodial interrogation and contended that the allegations did not constitute an offense. Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, representing the state government, opposed the anticipatory bail, asserting there was substantial evidence against Verma. The Chhattisgarh government previously informed the Supreme Court that it would refrain from taking any coercive measures against Verma regarding the NAN scam and issued a notice to the state. The FIR against Verma alleges that he assisted NAN scam defendants Anil Tuteja and Alok Shukla in securing bail within the case, which involves accusations of supplying substandard rice, gram, salt, among other items. Several prominent individuals, including bureaucrats, have been arrested in this case. Verma is contesting the February 13 High Court decision that denied him anticipatory bail in an investigation under the Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC; his anticipatory bail plea was previously rejected by the trial court. (PTI)
