A Delhi Court on Monday framed charges against former Minister of State for Urban Development PK Thungan and 17 others in connection with a case of out-of-turn allotment of houses to government employees during 1993-1995.
A Delhi Court on Monday framed charges against former Minister of State for Urban Development PK Thungan and 17 others in connection with a case of out-of-turn allotment of houses to government employees during 1993-1995.
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Finding prima-facie evidence against the accused, including former minister, Additional sessions Judge OP Saini said that there is credible prima-facie evidence against the accused to proceed with the trial.
The court fixed the matter for recording of evidence on April 13.
Besides Thungan, 17 others, including the then additional personal secretary of Urban Development Minister Sheila Kaul, were named as accused in 1996 by the probe agency for allegedly receiving illegal gratification from around 102 government employees for granting out-of-turn accommodation.
All the accused have been booked under various provisions of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act, dealing with cheating and accepting illegal gratification.
The FIR was lodged on February 14, 1996 following a Supreme Court order on a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the controversial government policy on house allotment.
According to the CBI chargesheet, DD Arora, then additional personal secretary of Urban Development Minister Kaul, hatched the criminal conspiracy with his son Virender Arora and others and compelled the government employees to pay bribe for out-of-turn allotment of houses.
The accused had also assured the employees that their activities had the backing of Thungan, the CBI said. They had invited applications from 102 employees during 1993-1995 and taken bribe for themselves and others including the then minister Thungan, the investigating agency alleged.
The bribe amount, running into several lakhs of rupees, was received by Arora on behalf of Thungan and others, alleged the chargesheet filed in 2005.
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