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Petition against Kesri dismissed

A Central Bureau of Investigation court today dismissed a fourth petition, seeking summoning of Congress president Sitaram Kesri as a co-accused in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MPs bribery case against former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao and 19 others.

''Evidence is lacking'' to show that Kesri was aware of the conspiracy to bribe MPs to vote against the July 28, 1993 no-confidence motion against the Rao government, Additional Sessions Judge Ajit Bharihoke observed while dismissing the petition.

Kesri's reported assurance to the then four JMM MPs, hours before voting on the motion, that the promise made to them by Rao would be honoured, ''can easily be an innocuous statement'', the judge said.

Accused Abhay Pratap Singh had, through his counsel Surat Singh, filed the petition seeking summoning of Kesri as an accused in the case

The judge had earlier dismissed three similar applications.

UNI

RELATED REPORT: Kesri knew MPs were bribed: Mahato

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