ADDITIONAL, district and sessions judge Ajit Bharihoke took precisely seven minutes to read out the operative portions of his 22page order summoning P. V. Narasimha Rao to appear before him on September 30 in the Lakhubhai Pathak cheating case. The former Prime Minister was in his Motilal Nehru Road residence when judge Bharihoke announced the summons. On one of the back benches of the court room sat the two coaccused, Chandrawamiand ‘Mamiaji’ alias Kailashnath Agarwal. Chandrawami remained inscru table throughout. Mamaji broke into an ear to ear grin as the order was read out. Mamaji, with a triumphant wave, of his hand, was to tell reporters outside; “Now let’s see the fun.”
Long before the 10 a.m. opening of north Delhi’s Tis Hazari courts today, some 100 Delhi Police personnel took up positions in the corridors leading to judge Bharihoke’s courtroom No 14. The judge surfaced briefly a 10:10 am to announce that he would pronounce his order at 2:30 p.m. In the event, he did so ten minutes earlier before a court room teaming with reporters, lawyers, including the prosecution and the defense. Lying in wait outside the courtroom were hordes of television camera persons and print media photographers.
Conspicuous by their absence in court was Rao’s counsel Kapil Sibal, who is vacationing in Geneva, and CBI counsel Gopal Subramaniam, whotoois abroad. Sibal spent a total of 12 hours, 45 minutes that were spread over six days arguing passionately and. often, theatrically. Before judge Bharihoke why his client ought not to be summoned. Subramaniam, by contrast, rested his case in an hour and 50 minutes. In Sibal’s absence, Rao was today represented by Ranjit Kumar. He told media persons at the court that his client would again move the Delhi High Court against Bharihoke’s order. Sibal is expected to return here on Tuesday.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 25, 1996
