CBI confiscates8217; Rs 90 cr

Public sector company National Fertilitzers Ltd NFL had entered into a contract for import of two lakh tonnes of urea with Karsan in 1995 but the latter failed to supply it within the specified period. CBI later found that huge kickbacks were paid to many people in India by Karsan, which allegedly did not make any effort to fulfill the contract.

Sources said that the accounts were frozen in State Bank of India in New York, Bank of New York, Intermediate Bank, Geneva and a bank in Carribean Islands.

CBI recently had received crucialdocuments, which run into over 700 pages, pertaining to accounts and money transaction by Karsan executives Tunkay Alankus and Cihan Karanci.

The documents received from US, Monacco, Isle of Mann and Switzerland had already been submitted before the trial court.

The agency also had submitted to the court a list of 11 foreign witnesses received along with the documents. The court after perusing the documents recently asked the accused persons to file replies to the CBI plea seeking consideration of the documents and the witnesses by December 6, the next date of hearing.

The trial in the case is withheld at present as the accused persons including Alankus and Karanci have challenged framing of charges against them by the special judge in Delhi High Court.

CBI, besides Alankus and Karanci, had chargesheeted seven persons including former NFL chairman C K Ramakrishanan and its executive director D S Kanwar.Former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao8217;s kin Sanjiva Rao and former Union minister Ram Lakhan SinghYadav8217;s son Prakash Yadav are also among the accused persons facing trial.

The agency was making efforts for extradition of Brazilian national A E Pinto, who was arrested in connection with the case by London police on the request of Indian authorities, they said.

Pinto had allegedly negotiated on behalf of Karsan to clinch the deal in its favour.