NEW DELHI, SEPT 17: The Delhi High Court has upheld the decision of a special CBI court here rejecting a petition seeking to summon former Congress president Sitaram Kesri as accused in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MPs bribery case.Dissmissing a review petition moved by former Congress MPs Abhay Pratap Singh and Anadi Charan Das, Justice M S A Siddique in a recent judgement said there was no ``infirmity'' in the order of the special judge.
Justice Siddique said special Judge Ajit Bharihoke had passed a detailed order giving reasons for rejecting the applications of the petitioners. No ``infirmity'' was found in the trial court order calling for interference of the High Court, Justice Siddique ruled.
The High Court also accepted the plea of CBI that Kesri's name did not figure anywhere during the investigation and it came only in a ``solitary'' statement of approver Shailendra Mahato, a former Lok Sabha member belonging to JMM party.
Singh and Das had challenged the special court's order of 1997dissmissing their plea seeking to summon Kesri under Secton 319 of Criminal Procedure Code on the ground that Mahato in his statement before the trial court had said that Kesri had solicited the support of four JMM MPs prior to the voting on the no-confidence motion against P V Narasimha Rao government on July 28, 1993.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.