Biocon Biologics bribery case: CBI moves HC challenging lower court verdict

The CBI approached the Delhi High Court on Tuesday challenging a lower court order denying it the custody of those arrested in the CDSCO bribery scandal allegedly involving a senior executive of Biocon Biologics, officials said.

The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the parties concerned and will hear the case on July 2, they said.

The CBI could not question the accused arrested by it even after six days, officials said and expressed apprehension that the delay might impede the investigation.

A special court here had sent all the five accused, including a joint drug controller at the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), to judicial custody after they were arrested for alleged bribery of Rs four lakh to waive phase-3 clinical trial of 'Insulin Aspart' injection of Biocon Biologics to manage Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

The CBI request seeking their police remand for custodial interrogation was denied twice by the special court which sent them to judicial custody.

Sources said CBI officials were disappointed that the court rejected their application for custody twice as immediate questioning after arrest in a trap case is of extreme importance for the agency so the accused do not get a chance to develop an alibi in their defence.