Delhi high court stays trial against JD chief

The Delhi high court on Thursday issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation on the criminal revision petition of Janata Dal president Sharad Yadav seeking quashing of the designated trial court order for framing of charges in the hawala scam.

Justice Jaspal Singh asked the CBI to reply by August 29, the next date of hearing in the Rs 650 million case.

The judge also gave oral directions to designated Judge V B Gupta not to hold any court proceedings in the case of Sharad Yadav from August 21.

Justice Singh also ordered that the record of the trial court be produced before him three days before the next date of hearing.

Yadav's counsel Soli Sorabjee sought quashing of Judge Gupta's order on the grounds that ''the prosecution had failed to establish the evidence of diaries, criminal conspiracy, payment of illegal gratification among other things''.

The petition stated there was no evidence on record to show that Yadav had accepted illegal gratification from the Jains or admitted it.

In his petition, Yadav stated that the prosecution had failed to specify the date and time of the alleged payment. According to the prosecution, the alleged payment was made between April 1988 and March 1990.

The Janata Dal president refuted the claim that he had made a statement before the media, accepting that he had received illegal gratification.

He said that the alleged statements made before the media do not constitute admission and it cannot be treated as a confession.

The judge had also not extended the benefit of the high court's judgment in the case of Bharatiya Janata Party president L K Advani by which it was held that diaries and entries cannot be considered as evidence.

In fact, by virtue of the high court order, he said, 13 politicians who were allegedly involved in the case, have been discharged.

UNI

EARLIER REPORT:
Charges to be framed against Sharad Yadav in hawala case