Sukh Ram charge-sheeted for abuse of official status

When the CBI raided Sukh Ram’s house in Mandi on August 16, 1996, they seized cash amounting to Rs 1,16,51,520. Of this, Rs 3 lakh was in an envelope along with a visiting card in Choudhary’s name as president of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, New Delhi. Probe revealed that Choudhary regularly visited the minister. Sukh Ram’s income tax returns had no mention of the Rs 3 lakh.

The charge-sheet says, “This prima facie indicates that Sukh Ram obtained the said amount … as a motive or reward for …favour shown by him to the said firm.”

Sukh Ram joined the Council of Ministers on July 2, 1992 as Minister of State for Communication with independent charge from January 18, 1993 to May 16, 1996. The Department of Telecommunication floated tenders on November 30, 1994 for the procurement of 352 Lakh Conductor Kilometer of polythene insulated jelly filled (PIJF) cables, for which 24 companies submitted bids.

The charge-sheet says, via a note dated Nov 3, 1995, Sukh Ram approved the allocation “… dishonestly with a view to give wrongful gain to HTL … without the financial aspect of the purchase”.

The Himachal Vikas Congress president is facing trial in another telecom scam case as well as in a disproportionate assets case.