Rao claims immunity from anti-graft act

NEW DELHI, Aug 12: Former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao’s counsel R K Anand continuing the argument against framing charges in the multi-crore MPs bribery case, today told Delhi High Court that the Prevention of Corruption (PoC) Act did not provide for prosecution of MPs and MLAs in corruption cases.

Anand said that as the POC Act did not envisage MPs and MLAs as public servants, hence his client who was an MP at the relevant time of the case cannot be charged in the multi-crore bribery case. The Act mentions everyone except MPs and MLAs who do not hold offices, which is almost mandatory for being classified as public servants.