St. Kitts case: Rao's discharge upheld

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI, DEC. 6. The Supreme Court today dismissed a special leave petition filed by the CBI against the judgment of the Delhi High Court in the ``St. Kitts case,'' involving former Prime Minister, Mr. P.V. Narasimha Rao.

A Bench, comprising Mr. Justice M.B. Shah and Mrs. Justice Ruma Pal, held that there was no merit in the petition.

The case of the CBI was that certain bank documents were forged by the accused to show that former Prime Minister, Mr. V. P. Singh's son, Mr. Ajeya Singh, had opened an account in First Trust Corporation in St. Kitts island in September 1986 and deposited $ 21 millions in that account.

The agency had alleged that the documents were fabricated by godman, Mr. Chandraswamy, and his aide, Mr. Agarwal, with the intention of tarnishing the image of Mr. Singh.

In 1996, the special CBI court had discharged both Mr. Rao and Mr. Tewari in 1996 from the case at the time of framing of charges, holding that the prosecution had failed to produce sufficient evidence against them. The court framed charges against Mr. Chandraswami and his Secretary, Mr. Kailash Nath Agarwal alias Mamaji, and two others.

On appeal, the High Court upheld the trial court's order discharging Mr. Rao and Mr. Tewari from the case on the ground that there was no evidence on record to show that they were involved in the alleged conspiracy. Against this order the CBI filed the SLP.

Today, Mr. R.K. Anand, counsel for Mr. Rao, submitted that the trial court and the High Court were right in discharging Mr. Rao from the case. He said on the face of it no case had been made out against Mr. Rao as he had been a victim of political vendetta. He pleaded for dismissal of the SLP.

The Solicitor General, Mr. Harish Salve, argued that it was a fit case where the accused should be tried for hatching a conspiracy against Mr. Singh.

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