Chandra Swami wants to go to Canada with probe team

Controversial tantrik Chandra Swami and his aide Kailash Nath Aggarwal told the Central Bureau of Investigation court on Friday that they would like to accompany the commission going to Canada to cross-examine prosecution witness W E Miller in the $ 100,000 Lakhubhai Pathak cheating case.

Co-accused, former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao has already submitted before Additional Sessions Judge Ajit Bharihoke that he did not want to be personally present during the cross-examination.

CBI counsel A K Dutt submitted before the court that there were no central government norms or rules regarding payment of expenses for cross-examining witnesses abroad. He urged the judge to settle reasonable expenses for taking a commission to Canada.

Judge Bharihoke had given the go-ahead for the commission to go abroad after foreign prosecution witnesses failed to appear in court despite repeated summons.

According to the CBI, the $ 100,000 allegedly paid by the late non-resident Indian businessman Lakhubhai Pathak to Chandra Swami to secure an Indian government contract for newsprint, were deposited in Miller's account. Miller has been cited as a disciple of the tantrik.

The accused urged the court that they be allowed to send two counsel each as part of the commission and the government bear their travel and other expenses.

Judge Bharihoke, however, said he would allow only one counsel each.

Counsel K K Manan, appearing for Chandra Swami, and A M Kanwilkar, appearing for Rao, submitted that, according to the Bar Council rules and the Advocates Act, a senior counsel cannot appear without an assisting counsel. They urged the court to sanction expenses for two counsel.

Judge Bharihoke then directed the counsel to bring the relevant acts and rules and adjourned the hearing for Saturday.

Chandra Swami and his aide also urged the court to allow them to take two assistants along with them for necessary care. The judge, however , indicated that he did not consider the request reasonable and would not accept it.

UNI

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