The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on May 29 arrested Charan Pratap Singh, Deputy Registrar of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Mumbai Bench, along with a co-accused, in a bribery case involving the alleged demand and acceptance of ₹3 lakh from a litigant in exchange for a favourable court order.
According to a CBI press release, the arrests were made following a complaint lodged by a hotel owner, who alleged that Singh had demanded a bribe to influence the outcome of a long-pending ownership dispute with his brothers. The complainant had filed the original petition before Court No. IV of the NCLT, Mumbai on November 2, 2020, and the matter has remained unresolved since then.
Bribe Demand and Arrest
During its preliminary inquiry, the CBI found that on May 11, 2025, Singh allegedly approached the complainant and demanded ₹3.5 lakh, offering to leverage his internal influence within the tribunal. After negotiations, the bribe amount was reportedly reduced to ₹3 lakh.
Acting on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap and apprehended one of the accused on May 29 while accepting the money on Singh’s behalf. The amount included ₹1 lakh in genuine currency and ₹2 lakh in dummy notes, prepared in advance for evidentiary purposes.
“During further trap proceedings, the accused Deputy Registrar was also arrested by the CBI for his role in the bribery,” the press release stated.
Ongoing Investigation
The CBI has launched search operations at multiple locations in Mumbai and Lucknow connected to the accused, aiming to collect more evidence and ascertain if additional individuals were involved in the corruption scheme.
The incident has once again spotlighted concerns regarding integrity within quasi-judicial institutions and underscores the CBI’s ongoing efforts to clamp down on corruption in the public sector.
