HC show-cause notice to key JMM witness

NEW DELHI, Feb 9: The Delhi High Court on Monday issued a notice to a key Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) witness in the multi-crore Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MPs bribery case asking to show cause why contempt proceedings be not initiated against him for allegedly retracting statement given under oath. The court issued the notice to Devinder Mukhia, who was the first to bring to the court’s notice in February 1996 that bribes had allegedly been paid to MPs by former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao and others to save his government. Justice Usha Mehra asked the respondent to file his reply by the next date.

Rastriya Mukti Morcha petitioner Ravinder Kumar alleged that what Mukhia deposed before Special Judge Ajit Bharihoke on January 7 was contrary to what he had stated in his sworn affidavit before the High Court. Meanwhile, the trial court has granted permission to the CBI to re-examine Mukhia as he has retracted his earlier statement. Arguing for the petitioner, senior counsel P N Lekhi contendedthat Mukhia’s act constituted an actionable contempt and was fraught with real risk of prejudice to administration of justice.