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6 former MPs acquitted in JMM case

A Central Bureau of Investigation court today discharged six former members of Parliament, including former Union minister Ramlakhan Singh Yadav, from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MPs' bribery case in the light of a Supreme Court ruling that MPs receiving bribes to vote in Parliament enjoyed constitutional immunity from prosecution under Article 105 (2).

The other former MPs discharged by the trial court of additional sessions judge Ajit Bharihoke are: Abhay Pratap Singh, Anadi Charan Das, Roshan Lal, Ramsaran Yadav and Haji Ghulam Mohammed (all belonging to the then break-away group of Janata Dal-A).

The court also dropped corruption charges against former JMM MPs Suraj Mandal, Shibhu Soren and Simon Marandi, but ruled that they will be tried under section 193 of the Indian Penal Code for fabrication of false evidence.

Former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao and 19 others were accused in the case which related to alleged bribing of opposition MPs to vote against the July 28, 1993 no-confidence motion against the Rao government.

In a three-two majority verdict, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had ruled on April 17 last year that Article 105 (2) of the Constitution provided immunity from prosecution to MPs taking bribe for voting in Parliament.

The apext court, however, had maintained that Rao and others accused of bribing the MPs were liable to prosecution.

The trial court had reserved its judgment on May 31 after conclusion of arguments on the petitions filed by the nine MPs seeking discharge in the light of the Supreme Court ruling.

UNI

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