- News>
Court asks MEA, VSNL to arrange for examining California Speaker in Lakhubhai case
New Delhi, June 04: A Delhi court today asked the Ministry of External Affairs, VSNL and National Informatics Centre (NIC) what arrangements they could provide to examine by video conferencing the Speaker of state assembly of California, USA, Marvin M Dymally, who is a witness in the Lakhubhai Pathak cheating case.
New Delhi, June 04: A Delhi court today asked the Ministry of External Affairs, VSNL and National Informatics Centre (NIC) what arrangements they could provide to examine by video conferencing the Speaker of state assembly of California, USA, Marvin M Dymally, who is a witness in the Lakhubhai Pathak cheating case.
Issuing notices, Special Judge R K Gauba directed them to respond by June 6, failing which he said private parties will have to be roped in for the same.
Dymally was allegedly present at the meeting between former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, controversial godman Chandraswamy and K N Agarwal alias Mamaji - all accused by CBI of conspiring and cheating London-based late pickle tycoon Lakhubhai Pathak - at a hotel in New York.
The accused, according to CBI, had cheated Pathak of one lakh dollar in 1986 on the promise of getting him a paper pulp supply contract in India.
Dymally's presence could not be secured as the country does not have a mutual legal assistance treaty with USA.
Chandraswamy claimed that the witness was now ready to depose at the Indian Consulate in Sacramento, capital of California, on any weekend at any time suitable to the working of courts in India.
Supreme Court last month had directed that Dymally be examined by video conferencing and that the cost should be borne by the godman. The modalities of examination were left to the designated court.
Expressing unhappiness at CBI for not having made any arrangements for the video conferencing till date the court directed it to brief MEA, VSNL and NIC immediately.
Bureau Report
Dymally was allegedly present at the meeting between former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, controversial godman Chandraswamy and K N Agarwal alias Mamaji - all accused by CBI of conspiring and cheating London-based late pickle tycoon Lakhubhai Pathak - at a hotel in New York.
The accused, according to CBI, had cheated Pathak of one lakh dollar in 1986 on the promise of getting him a paper pulp supply contract in India.
Dymally's presence could not be secured as the country does not have a mutual legal assistance treaty with USA.
Chandraswamy claimed that the witness was now ready to depose at the Indian Consulate in Sacramento, capital of California, on any weekend at any time suitable to the working of courts in India.
Supreme Court last month had directed that Dymally be examined by video conferencing and that the cost should be borne by the godman. The modalities of examination were left to the designated court.
Expressing unhappiness at CBI for not having made any arrangements for the video conferencing till date the court directed it to brief MEA, VSNL and NIC immediately.
Bureau Report