Raos Battle In Courts Begins Today

Former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao's battle in the courtrooms is scheduled to begin today when he appears before special judge Ajit Bharihoke as an accused in the Lakhubhai Pathak cheating case.

At the Delhi High Court today, the CBI is expected to file a complete report in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha bribery case, in which Rao is one of the main accused. The high court division bench, which has been monitoring the progress in the case over the last six months, has directed the CBI to unearth the source of the funds.

A day later, on Tuesday, the chief metropolitan magistrate is scheduled to take cognisance of the chargesheet filed by the CBI in the St Kitts case.

 

In the first case, the court is expected to frame charges against the former Prime Minister, as his appeals to the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court for withdrawal of summons issued to him by the chief metropolitan magistrate Prem Kumar on July 9 have been dismissed.

Unprecedented arrangements have been made at the Tis Hazari courts to ensure that Rao does not face any security threat. Being a former Prime Minister, Rao is entitled to the Special Protection Group cover.

Thanks to the security cover, only a select group of reporters have been allowed to be present in the courtroom. Their presence inside the courtroom has been made possible with the permission of the court. No cameraperson will be allowed in the court complex and the entry of all will be regulated.

ever, till last evening, it is still not certain that Rao will have to appear in the Tis Hazari courts. Since Chief Justice A M Ahmadi was expected to be back here late yesterday, a decision on the change of venue for the trial was still a possibility.

If Rao does appear before Bharihoke at the Tis Hazari courts, he will be the second former Prime Minister after Indira Gandhi, to appear before a judge in that complex. In the event of a change of venue, the proceedings are expected to take place at the Pragati Maidan, where security arrangements are being made.