Hiranandani gets anticipatory bail

Niranjan Hiranandani,against whom CBI had issued a look-out notice...

Hiranandani Group director,Niranjan Hiranandani,against whom CBI had issued a look-out notice in connection with an alleged over Rs nine crore Provident Fund scam,was today granted anticipatory bail by a special court.

CBI had yesterday issued look-out notices to all airports in the country against Niranjan and his brother Surendra,another director of the group.

The duo has been named as accused in an FIR lodged by CBI on March 29,2008 for an alleged fraud in provident fund deposits.

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“Niranjan,who was out of Mumbai,flew in immediately and approached the court seeking anticipatory bail,” Darshan Hiranandani,another director said,adding Surendra would seek anticipatory bail tomorrow after arriving in the city.

While granting anticipatory bail to Niranjan,special CBI judge S P Hayatnagarkar observed that his custodial interrogation was not required.

Niranjan’s lawyer Harshad Ponda argued that both Niranjan and Surendra have been in constant touch with the CBI in connection with the case and have even been to the agency’s office several times for questioning.

According to the Anti-Corruption wing of CBI,Hiranandani group had not deposited provident fund of their employees in 2003-04.

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The alleged non-payment,as per a report filed by the Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) in its departmental enquiry,is to the tune of Rs 9.36 crore.

Apart from the two directors,two employees of the group and four officers from EPFO have also been shown as accused in the case.

A special CBI court had last week granted anticipatory bail to two employees – Joseph Reddy,the general manager,and Cyrus Pithawala,the project director of the company.