Taking cognisance of the chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the cash-on-camera scam, a Delhi Court has issued summons to six persons. These include former Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dileep Singh Judeo, who was allegedly caught on camera accepting a bribe over two years ago.
Special Judge I K Kochhar asked Judeo, his secretary Natwar Rateria, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi's son Amit, Bhupender Singh Patel alias Rahul, Arvind Vijaymohan and Rajat Prasad - all accused under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with the case - to appear before her on March 17.
The CBI alleged that Amit, presently in judicial custody in connection with the murder of Nationalist Congress Party treasurer Ram Avtar Jaggi, Rahul, Vijaymohan and Rajat hatched a conspiracy to catch Judeo on camera while accepting a bribe.
Rahul posed as a journalist while Vijaymohan is an art dealer who provided the logistics for the sting operation. The probe agency, which chargesheeted the six accused in December last year, has cited as many as 79 witnesses including several print and electronic mediapersons.
On November 5, 2003, the former Union minister and co-accused Rateria were caught on video accepting a bribe of Rs 9 lakh to sanction certain mining projects in Chhattisgarh and Orissa. The incident was filmed in a five-star hotel in New Delhi, shortly before the Chhattisgarh assembly elections were scheduled in 2003.