Court order in MPs' bribery case on May 6

A Delhi court, holding trial in the MPs' bribery case in which former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao and 19 others are accused, would announce its order on charges on May 6.

Additional sessions judge Ajit Bharihoke set the date on Tuesday after CBI counsel A K Dutt concluded his reply, stating that all the 20 accused be charged with criminal conspiracy under section 120(b) IPC for defeating through illegal means the July 28, 1993 no-confidence motion against the Rao government.

The other accused in the case include former Union ministers Buta Singh, Satish Sharma and Ramlakhan Singh Yadav and former chief ministers Bhajan Lal of Haryana and M Veerappa Moily of Karnataka.

Sahilendra Mahato, former Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader who has turned an approver has admitted in his confessional statement that he and three other then JMM MPs -- Simon Marandi, Suraj Mandal and Shibu Soren -- had received Rs 5 million each for voting in favour of the government.

The CBI also suggested framing of charges under section 12 IPC for offering and abetting bribe and under section seven for demanding and accepting bribe and under section 13(2) for obtaining pecuniary advantage against various accused.

Addressing the court personally, Buta Singh pleaded that the issue was out of the purview of any court as the debate in the Lok Sabha on the motion and voting came under Article 105 of the Constitution relating to parliamentary privileges.

The issue had also been discussed in the house for two days on January 25 and 26, 1996, after being raised by leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, A B Vajpayee under rule 183.

The CBI, however, maintained that bribes were offered and accepted outside Parliament.

Surat Singh, counsel for then breakaway Janata Dal (A) MPs Abhay Pratap Singh and Anadi Charan Dass, said the CBI had not provided any evidence to file charges under section 120(b) IPC.

Moily's counsel Santosh Hegde said the CBI had failed to produce evidence to show that the money, reportedly arranged and brought from Bangalore by his client, was paid to MPs as part of the conspiracy.

UNI