Court to hear arguments on charges in Tytler's case on May 28

Congress leader had allegedly sent a forged letter to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2009

A Delhi court has fixed May 28 for commencement of arguments on framing of charges in a case in which CBI had named Congress leader Jagdish Tytler and businessman Abhishek Verma in a charge sheet for allegedly sending a forged letter to the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2009.

Special CBI judge Anju Bajaj Chandna, who was scheduled to hear the arguments in the case on May 7, fixed it for May 28 due to the ongoing strike of lawyers of all district courts in Delhi on the issue of pecuniary jurisdiction.

"It is submitted that strike is continuing therefore advocates are not appearing. In these circumstances, matter be listed on May 28 for arguments on the point of charge," the court said.

The charge sheet was filed by CBI on a complaint of then Minister of State for Home Ajay Maken alleging that a forged letter on his letterhead was written to Singh by Verma seeking easing of business visa norms in 2009.

Tytler and Verma were named in the charge sheet for the offence of attempting to cheat under the IPC and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Tytler was earlier granted bail by the court after he had appeared before it in pursuance to the summons issued against him.

Verma is lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody after being arrested in various cases lodged against him by CBI and Enforcement Directorate.

In its charge sheet, CBI had alleged that Tytler had "actively connived" with Verma to cheat a Chinese telecom firm and the Congress leader had first shown a "fake and forged" letter to the company's officials, claiming it was written by Maken to the then Prime Minister.

CBI had also alleged that "investigation has... Revealed that Jagdish Tytler had knowingly and actively connived with Abhishek Verma in attempting to cheat M/s ZTE Telecom India Pvt Ltd".

"There was a meeting of minds between Abhishek Verma and Jagdish Tytler in their attempt to cheat ZTE Telecom India Pvt Ltd on the basis of fake and forged letter addressed to the Prime Minister from Ajay Maken, the then MoS (Home Affairs)," CBI had said in its charge sheet.