Ex-NTPC director, six others cleared in hawala case

NEW DELHI, Aug 13: Special Judge V B Gupta today discharged seven National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) officials in the Rs 65 crore ...

NEW DELHI, Aug 13: Special Judge V B Gupta today discharged seven National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) officials in the Rs 65 crore Jain hawala case, saying that there was no “material evidence” against them.

In his 116-paged order the judge also discharged the four co-accused in the case — the Jain brothers N K Jain, S K Jain and B R Jain and their secretary J K Jain — saying that there was no material evidence against them either.

The CBI had chargesheeted former NTPC director (finance) P S Bami, V Sunderajan, R K Narayanan, S C Parekh, Mohammed Abdul Hai, G Venkataraman and Manohar Lal Malik for allegedly receiving bribes — while they were still public servants — from the Jains. The Judge today maintained that prima facie (on first impression) there was no evidence to substantiate this allegation. The only case pending with the designated court now — on point of charge — is that of Arif Mohammed Khan.