Transport scam: businessmen refused bail

A Delhi court today refused bail to two businessmen arrested for allegedly siphoning off crores of rupees in fitness tests of commercial vehicles in the national capital in connivance with the transport department.
Special judge Narottam Kaushal dismissed the bail pleas of Nitin Manawat and Puran Chand Tamta who were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of Delhi government on February 25.
The court had earlier rejected their bail pleas in March.
Manawat, Director of ESP India, and Tamta, CEO of ESP India' alliance partner's Tambros India Ltd, were arrested in a case registered on a complaint of RTI activist Vivek Garg alleging the contract for lane test of commercial vehicles for fitness certificates was given by Delhi government to ESP India without inviting any tender.

The duo had sought bail saying since their arrest, ACB has not arrested any other accused and no headway has been made in the probe.
ACB's investigating officer Pankaj Sharma, however, opposed their bail plea saying they are probing the role of government officials and have issued a notice to former Transport Commissioner R K Verma to join investigation.
He also said they had arrested a former Deputy Commissioner of the Transport Department who was granted bail by the court.