The Bombay High Court today transferred to CBI the probe into the fake bail bond scam at suburban Kurla railway station, involving several Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel, after the agency informed the court that it was already investigating the role of RPF officials in corruption cases.

A division bench of Justice Ranjana Desai and Justice R.V. More was hearing a PIL filed by social activist Samir Zaveri, claiming that certain RPF personnel posted at Kurla station were releasing persons allegedly booked for trespassing and crossing railway tracks on fake cash bail bonds.

The bench was to transfer the probe into the scam to the State Crime Investigation Department (CID), but had later sought information from CBI as to whether it was probing into any case pertaining to corruption by RPF personnel.

The court had sought the information after going through a report submitted by former Deputy Inspector General A.V. Jha of RPF stating that CBI was seized of a matter regarding illegal gratification, in which, several RPF personnel were accused.

“Since CBI is already probing into the role of RPF officials in corruption cases, it would be appropriate and more convenient if the agency is handed over investigations into the fake bail bond case too,” Justice Desai remarked.

The court, while transferring the probe to CBI observed that the Government Railway Police (GRP) was conducting a “tardy and slow” investigation.

“The fake bail bond is just one aspect. There must be harassment everywhere. We also have to get into the conduct of senior RPF officials, who tried to protect the junior accused officers. GRP has not been able to effectively tackle this,” Justice Desai said.

Mr Zaveri, in his PIL had alleged that a head constable acted as a magistrate and granted bail to the offenders and the money collected was misappropriated by the RPF personnel.

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