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CBI's plea against discharge of Khurana, Sinha in hawala case rejected

The Delhi high court today rejected the Central Bureau of Investigation petitions challenging the discharge of Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Madan Lal Khurana and 17 other politicians in the Rs 640 million Jain hawala case.

Justice A K Srivastava, however, fixed May 27 for hearing on the petitions of Janata Dal president Sharad Yadav and former Lok Sabha speaker Balram Jakhar who have challenged the framing of charges against them by the trial court in the case.

While Yadav had reportedly admitted in a media conference to receiving money from the Jain brothers, the CBI had produced evidence to show that the Jains had bought air tickets for the foreign tours of Jakhar's relatives.

Trial judge V B Gupta had discharged Sinha, Khurana and other politicians in the light of the Delhi high court order quashing charges against then Bharatiya Janata Party president Lal Kishinchand Advani and former Union minister V C Shukla.

The high court had held that loose sheets and diary entries could not be taken as legal evidence against the accused. This was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court.

Today's judgment came after CBI counsel N Natarajan told the high court that the CBI did not have any evidence against the accused other than the diary entries.

UNI

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