HC seeks CBI's response on P K Thungon's bail plea and appeal

Delhi High Court today sought the CBI's reponse on a plea by former Union Minister P K Thungon challenging his conviction and three-and-a half-year jail term in a corruption case relating to allotment of government shops here in 1993-94.
Justice Siddharth Mridul also asked the agency to respond to Thungon's bail plea and sought its reply by April 8 when the court will hear arguments on the application.
Thungon, also a former chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, was convicted by the trial court for offences under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The trial court had also imposed a fine of Rs one lakh on Thungon who is presently lodged in Tihar jail. It had acquitted two other accused -- Lakhpa Tsering and Krishna -- in the case.
Thungon was the Minister of State for Urban Affairs and Employment at the time of the alleged offence when the Congress government was led by P V Narasimha Rao.
Apart from them, then Urban Affairs and Employment Minister Sheila Kaul, and one Tulsi Balodi were also accused in the case. Proceedings against Kaul and Balodi were abated due to their death during the pendency of trial.

The court, however, had found Kaul guilty in the case for conspiring and committing the illegal act.

CBI had registered a case in 1996 against Kaul, Thungon, Tsering, Krishna and Balodi for allegedly hatching conspiracy in allotting shops and stalls in 1994.
According to CBI, the five accused had allegedly conspired during September 1993 to June 1994 for dishonestly and fraudulently obtaining undue benefit in the allotment of shops on economical licence fee basis in contravention of rules governing such allotments.
The three shops were alloted on April 9, 1994 and May 12, 1994, the agency had said.
In July 2015, Thungon was awarded a four-and-a half-year jail term by a trial court here in a separate graft case of 1998 relating to misappropriation of funds.