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Govt faces flak over Kesri case

The Delhi high court today took the central government to task for not filing the share-holding pattern of the four foreign companies which made a Rs 37.5 million donation to the Congress between 1993-95. The donations allegedly violated the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act.

Directing the government to file the holding pattern within a month, a division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Mahinder Narain and Justice S K Mahajan said this was necessary to know the names of the the companies promoters.

The bench directed Additional Solicitor General T R Andhyarujina to place on the court record the memorandum showing the share-holding pattern of Dierra Trading Corporation, Dominian Trading Corporation, Decor Trading Corporation and Berkley Business Corporation.

The judges said, ''We do not know what difficulty the government has in placing the shareholding pattern of the four companies on record if it was in possession of these papers.

''We would like to know who are the people behind the companies and its shareholders,'' the bench observed.

The court was hearing a public interest petition filed by Patna-based freelance journalist Madhuresh Kumar seeking the prosecution of Congress president Sitaram Kesri as he was the then treasurer of the party.

Andhyarujina submitted before the court that as the companies did not have any representative in India, the FCRA could not be applicable to it.

UNI

EARLIER REPORT:
Court against giving clean chit to Kesri

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