Latest news with #MSMEExportPromotionCouncil
India Today
05-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Anticipatory bail to ex-BJP MP, who misused government letterheads, denied
The Bombay High Court has rejected the anticipatory bail plea of former Uttar Pradesh minister Harinarayan Bhagirathi Rajbhar, who has been accused of misusing government letterheads, issuing fake job appointment letters and ID cards, and using the central government's emblem in a case of who was elected as MP from Uttar Pradesh's Ghosi, on a BJP ticket in 2014 and has served as a two-time MLA and minister in the state government, approached the court last month seeking anticipatory case was filed by Devendra Singh, who runs an NGO named Ashray, in Thane. A total of five people are accused in the case. According to the complaint, Rajbhar allegedly prepared a fake appointment letter dated September 9, 2020, naming Singh as Chairman of MSME, Maharashtra, and asked him to join within 25 to 30 days. Singh said the letter used a government letterhead bearing the emblem of India, and a fake ID card with Rajbhar's signature and the government emblem was issued. Singh said he realised the fraud after meeting another victim, Dr Aditya Patakrao, who had also received a fake appointment letter and ID card. Patakrao filed a separate lawyer KH Giri argued that no money was exchanged and claimed that Rajbhar, who studied only till Class 2 in a vernacular medium, had limited knowledge of English and was unaware of the misuse. Giri said Rajbhar was made working chairman of a company called MSME Export Promotion Council and resigned once he discovered the misuse of his Additional Public Prosecutor Rutuja A Ambekar and Singh's lawyer Prashant Pandey opposed the plea, stating the appointment letter bore Rajbhar's signature. They added that the Ministry of MSME had issued an alert on December 19, 2020, warning the public against unauthorised activities by the MSME Export Promotion Council, which had been sending media messages about such fake further informed the court that at least 11 victims had approached the police with similar complaints, and that two more FIRs have been registered against Rajbhar—one in Rohtak, Haryana, and another in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Rajesh Patil, after examining the documents, noted that the appointment orders used government emblems and appeared to be official. He observed that Rajbhar was seen presenting a bouquet to Singh in photographs and that 11 appointment letters signed by Rajbhar for the post of MSME Chairman in various states had been court rejected Rajbhar's claim that he resigned after discovering the misuse, stating he had not filed any complaint against those allegedly misusing his letterhead. The court also dismissed Giri's argument about a delay in filing the FIR, stating that it would be difficult for Singh to lodge a complaint against a powerful person.
Hindustan Times
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
HC denies anticipatory bail to former MP who misused government letterheads
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Wednesday rejected the anticipatory bail of Harinarayan Bhagirathi Rajbhar, a former Member of Parliament from UP, accused of misusing government letterheads for job appointments, granting fake government certificates for jobs, and the central government's emblem. Noting the extent of the fraud, the court denied him bail. The case stems from a January 16 complaint filed by Devendra Singh, who runs Ashray, an NGO, in Thane. In August 2020, Singh's acquaintances visited his office and informed that his friend had recommended his name for the post of chairmanship in the MSME Export Promotion Council, a private company, in Maharashtra. Following this, on November 9, 2020, Rajbhar, also an active member of Bhartiya Janata Party, Rashtriya Parishad, and Pradesh Karya Samiti, signed an order letter that appointed Singh to the position. Singh alleged that Rajbhar signed the letter as the Chairman of MSME EPC. The name and address on the bottom of the appointment letter belongs to MSME Export Promotion Council, a private company. However, the letterhead and emblem of the central government used falsely shows the appointment to be issued by the government. Singh was given an ID card for being the chairman, which also had the emblem on it. Appearing for the NGO, which acts as the intervener, advocate Prashant Pandey submitted that Rajbhar had also introduced him to a sitting MP and directed him to gift a Fortuner, a luxury SUV, as a bribe to speed up his appointment process. Representing Rajbhar, advocate K H Giri submitted that Rajbhar was not paid any amount to produce fake appointments. Rajbhar has barely studied till Class 2 in vernacular medium and hence had a very limited knowledge of the English language, Giri said defending that Rajbhar was not aware of which letterhead he signed. He added that Rajbhar immediately resigned from the post of the Chairman of the MSME Export Promotion Council as soon as he understood the letterhead was misused. Additional public prosecutor Rutuja A Ambekar submitted that similar complaints of being issued appointment letters with Rajbhar's signature have been reported in Haryana and Pimpri Chinchwad. 'The investigating officer has found 11 appointment letters signed by the present applicant, addressed to different individuals for the post of Chairman of MSME Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu,' she said. She refuted the arguments of Rajbhar being unaware of the fraud, stating that he had not lodged any complaint against the individuals he claimed had misused his signature on the government letterhead. Citing several high court precedents, the single-judge bench of justice Milind Jadhav denied bail to Rajbhar. The bench noted that the case is not confined to cheating of only one individual, but advances to several victims. Depending on the earlier court's findings, the documents presented, and the allegations made, the court said, 'I am of the view that the present anticipatory bail application requires to be rejected'. Rajbhar was elected on BJP ticket Sheer (Belthra Road) as an MLA from 1991 to 1992. He was re-elected as MLA from 1996 to 2002 and was a Minister of Jail, Gram Vikas (Rural Development) and Rural Engineering Services. He was then elected as a MP from Ghoshi from 2014 to 2019.
