New Delhi, Aug 18: Former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, facing trial in the Lakhubhai Pathak cheating case, today furnished a personal bond of Rs 50,000 before a special court and completed the formality for going abroad for medical treatment. Rao furnished the bond before special judge Dinesh Dayal, who conducted the brief proceedings in the Vigyan Bahvan Complex here. Rao was accompanied by his lawyer and some personal staff.


The court on August 14 had allowed former Prime Minister to visit Houston in US from August 20 to October 9 for heart check-up and a surety of Rs 50,000 was furnished on that day.

CBI counsel K N Sharma had not raised any objections to Rao leaving for US. Rao is facing trial in the case alongwith Chandraswamy and his aide K N Agarwal alias Mamaji for allegedly cheating London-based pickle tycoon late Takhubhai Pathak of one lakh dollar in 1986 on the promise of getting him a paper pulp supply contract in India.

The court has fixed September 19 to assess the preparations made by External Affairs Ministry and National Informatics Centre and the defence for the examination by video conferencing of California state assembly Speaker Marvin M Dymally, a defence witness in the case. The court said by October 19, a date for the examination of Dymally will have to be finalised.

Dymally was allegedly present at the meeting between Rao, Chandraswamy and Mamaji at a hotel in New York.

Bureau Report