IPS Officer Deepak Gahlawat Sent to One‑Day CBI Custody Amidst Court Scrutiny
Chandigarh’s Rao Avenue Court delivered a stern rebuke to the Central Bureau of Investigation on July 1, after the CBI arrested IPS officer Deepak Gahlawat in connection with a three‑crore rupee bribe allegation tied to a large counterfeit drug racket. The magistrate highlighted that the CBI had not identified which specific transaction component still required examination.
The court noted that the investigating officer had reported the recovery of an advance amounting to one crore rupees, yet affirmed that Gahlawat never received any portion of that money. As a result, the judge concluded that the alleged broader conspiracy lies beyond the present investigative scope and cannot justify prolonged police custody.
When interrogated, the CBI officer admitted that no attempt was made to establish whether the accused had communicated with any third party, or even if such a third party existed. The court described the lack of basic investigative steps as “unacceptable.”
Police documents submitted to the bench listed seized cash: ₹1,425,000 from Lavkush Mishra, ₹1,682,046 from Anukalp Mishra, ₹2,039,220 and $1,121 from Avinash Shukla, ₹1,807,063 from Karunesh Pandey, ₹732,170 from Ramashankar Mishra, and ₹100,000 from Ramshankar Yadav Tunoo.
Gahlawat was placed under CBI custody for a single day as ordered by the court. His lawyer challenged the custody, arguing that the officer had already been questioned four times, consistently cooperated, and that the ₹50,000 advance mentioned by the prosecution was merely a pre‑sale loan for an old car, not a corrupt payment.
The CBI’s allegation that the officer demanded a staggering one and a half crore rupees raises doubts about the plausibility of the modest advance claim. At the time of the alleged offense, Gahlawat served as Regional Director of the Civil Aviation Directorate, and the prosecution alleges he used his influence to steer the CBI investigation in favour of a Puducherry businessman linked to the counterfeit drug network.