New Delhi: A Delhi court has decided to frame
charges against former Union minister Shiela Kaul and her two
aides for their alleged roles in a 1996 housing scam case.
Special CBI judge Pradeep Chaddah decided to frame
charges against the trio holding that on the face of it a case
was made out against the former Urban development minister,
her then additional private secretary Rajan Lala and private
assistant R K Sharma, accused of allegedly allotting
government accommodation here for a consideration.
"Prima facie case is held to be made out against all the
three accused. Put up for framing of formal charge on February
17, 2012," the court said.
The CBI had in April 2003 charged Kaul, Lala and Sharma
under Section 120-B IPC (criminal conspiracy) and various
provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The CBI had
filed a charge sheet in the matter in April 2003.
The charge sheet accused Kaul of conspiring with her two
personal staff for allotting government accommodation for
securing pecuniary benefits from alottees between 1992 and
1995. It alleged the trio made out-of-turn allotment of
government accommodation to government employees after
receiving bribes from them.
The charge sheet further alleged they used to directly
accept applications from candidates seeking allotment of
government accommodation and the minister would pass allotment
orders without considering the objections raised by the Estate
Directorate.
A CBI probe was launched into the case on the Supreme
Court direction on a PIL by apex court lawyer Shiv Sagar
Tewari.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, February 05, 2012, 11:44