CBI court frames charges against 6 retired judges in PF Scam

Ghaziabad: A special CBI court here framed charges of corruption, cheating and forgery against six retired district judges of Ghaziabad in the multi-crore Provident Fund scam. 

Court also framed charges against 65 persons involved in the scam under various sections of the Indian Penal Code(IPC).

Special CBI Judge A K Singh on Monday framed charges against six retired judges – R P Mishra, R P Yadav, A K Singh, R S Choubey, R N Mishra and Arun Kumar– who were district judges of Ghaziabad between 2001 and 2008.

CBI public prosecutor B K Singh said that these retired judges have been framed under various sections of the IPC and under Section 13 (2) read with 13(1) (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

Singh also said that CBI court has ordered to begin trial from December 6 next month in the Rs 6.58 crore PF scam, adding that these retired judges are now out on bail.

The scam was unearthed in February 2008 after the then Ghaziabad special CBI judge Rama Jain registered an FIR in this regard, he said.

The Supreme Court had then directed Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the scam. On the direction of apex court, the agency began probe in the case in October 2008 and in July 2010, it filed a chargesheet in this connection.

"CBI named 71 persons, including six retired district judges of Ghaziabad, 35 court employees, in its chargesheet. On Tuesday, one of accused Rambabu Verma, who served jail for around five and a half years, confessed to his involvement before the special CBI judge Dr A K Singh, who later passed an order to release him," CBI public prosecutor B K Singh said.

Singh also said that these 71 accused were beneficiaries of crores of rupees allegedly withdrawn from the PF account of fourth-grade employees in Ghaziabad district court.