The JMM bribery case has come back to haunt the then JMM MPs with the CBI moving the special court in the capital to file a fresh chargesheet almost 13 years after the notorious case first hit the headlines. Judge Sunil Jain has issued notices summoning Simon Marandi, Suraj Mandal and Shibu Soren, Chief Minister of Jharkhand, to his court at Tishazari in New Delhi on September 19.

Marandi, Mandal and Soren are expected to abide by the court directive. ‘‘We have to appear before the court,’’ said Mandal who later broke away from the JMM to launch the Jharkhand Vikas Dal.

In 1996, the CBI had registered two FIRs in connection with the case.The first revolved around the then four JMM MPs-Marandi, Mandal, Soren and Shailendra Mahato who were accused of receiving a Rs 3.5 crore bribe to vote in favour of the trust motion tabled by the P V Narsimha Rao Government in 1993. The CBI had then filed a chargesheet against Marandi, Mandal and Soren as Mahato had turned approver. However, in a controversial judgement, the apex court held that according to Article 105 (2) of the Constitution, the MPs were not liable for anything said or any vote given in Parliament.

The second FIR was connected with the recovery of Rs 3.5 crore from the bank accounts of the accused who had claimed that the money was part of ‘donations’ collected by the party.