CBI today faced the ire of a Delhi court for filing an incomplete reply on a plea filed by Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, chargesheeted along with controversial businessman Abhishek Verma in a case of alleged forgery of a letter sent to the Prime Minister. The court was irked after going through the reply filed by CBI to Tytler's plea seeking some documents related to the case.
The agency, in its reply, said certain documents have been filed before the trial court in a "sealed cover" but Special CBI Judge V K Gupta noted that no such documents have been filed in the court. At this juncture, the CBI prosecutor told the court that these documents have been filed in a sealed cover before another court here in connection with a separate case lodged under the Official Secrets Act.
"Why you (CBI) have not written it (regarding filing of documents in sealed cover in another court) in your reply? It should be specific in the reply," the judge said.
During the arguments, Tytler's lawyer told the judge that "it is high time that the court should impose cost on CBI." The defence counsel also said CBI should file a fresh reply to Tytler's plea. The judge pulled up the probe agency saying "I will now start imposing cost on CBI." "Further reply to the application under section 207 CrPC filed. However, the said reply is also not complete and clear and it refers to filing of certain documents in sealed cover before the trial court. No such documents in sealed cover have been filed before this court," the judge said and fixed the matter for August 5. The court also asked CBI to file a reply "clarifying the position as regard the documents filed in sealed cover".
The court had on September 6 last year taken cognisance of CBI's charge sheet which was filed on a complaint of then Minister of State for Home Ajay Maken that a forged letter on his letterhead was written to the then Prime Minister by Verma seeking easing of business visa norms in 2009.
Tytler and Verma have been chargesheeted for the offence of attempting to cheat under the IPC and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Tytler was granted bail by the court after he had appeared before it in pursuance to the summons issued against him.
Verma is lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody after being arrested in various cases lodged against him by CBI and Enforcement Directorate.
CBI, in its charge sheet, had alleged Tytler had "actively connived" with Verma to cheat a Chinese telecom firm and the Congress leader had first shown a "fake and forged" letter to the company's officials, claiming it was written by Maken to the Prime Minister. CBI had also alleged "investigation has, therefore, revealed that Jagdish Tytler had knowingly and actively connived with Abhishek Verma in attempting to cheat.
