NEW DELHI: Special Judge V.B. Gupta, filed charges against eight politicians in the Jain Hawala case, thereby paving the way for their prosecution.
‘The eight are R.K. Dhawan, C.K. Jaffar Sharicf, K. Natwar Singh, Sharad Yadav, Narian Dutt Tiwari, B.D. Dhakne, Harmohan Dhawan and Ranjit Singh. While four of them have been summoned by the judge for March 18, the remaining four are to appear on March 19. However, such is the accused’s response to the court notice that N.D. Tiwari made it to the court within two hours of being summoned by him. The leader of the breakaway Congress faction arrived with his hundreds of supporters, causing usual security problems for the police and commotion among the litigants.
No sooner had Tiwari reached the court that his counsel Ashwani Kumar moved his bail application. Acceding to the plea, Gupta directed Tiwari to furnish a bail bond of Rs 10,000 and ‘A Surety of the like amount. Speaking to reporter’s seconds after Stepping out from the court, Tiwari charged the Prime Minister P, V, Narasimha Rao, for misguiding people and creating an “uncertain political scenario” in the country.
Terming Rao “master manipulator,” Tiwari alleged that he was bent upon tarnishing the image of his party to win the mandate in the forthcoming general elections, As was the Condition put on the other accused, the Special Judge ruled that Tiwari would surrender his passport to the CB] and he would not leave the country before the court’s prior permission. Exempting Tiwari from his personal appearance before the court on March 18, the judge also directed the CBI to supply all related documents and charge sheet to the accused.
While issuing separate summons to all the eight politicians March 11th, Gupta said, “After going through the records, I find that there are sufficient grounds for proceedings against all the accused and as such I take cognizance of the offenses complained of.”
Article extracted from this publication >> March 13, 1996
