NEW DELHI, May 19: Former communications minister and leader of the Himachal Vikas Congress, Sukh Ram, who resigned from Himachal cabinet last month, would face trial in a telecom scam case as a special court today ordered framing of charges against him.Special judge Ajit Bharihoke who found `prima facie' sufficient evidence to proceed with the trial against Ram and two others, fixed tomorrow for completing the formalities of framing of the charges.Other accused in the case are former deputy director of Department of Telecommunications (DoT) Runu Ghosh and managing director of Hyderabad-based firm Advance Radio Masts (ARM) Paturu Rama Rao.According to CBI charge-sheet, Ram and Ghosh had allegedly favoured ARM in awarding a Rs 33 crore rural telecom equipment supply contract in 1992-93 which resulted in a loss of Rs 1.68 crore to DoT.The agency alleged that Ghosh had pursued the matter directly with the minister and bypassed official channels while Ram ignored the ``adverse'' comments against ARMby DoT's price evaluation and technical committees.All the three accused were directed by the judge to be present in the court tomorrow.As advised by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee last month, Ram quit from the BJP-led Prem Kumar Dhumal ministry in Himachal after President KR Narayanan granted sanction for his prosecution in one of the three cases against him. CBI had arrested Ram in September 1996 after recovery of over Rs 3.68 crore cash, jewellery, fixed deposits and movable properties. However, he was released on bail after about a month.The agency had charge-sheeted him in the Rs 1.68 crore telecom scam and disproportionate assets cases, while it had sought President's sanction for his prosecution in a third case pertaining to awarding of a contract to Rohtak-based firm Haryana Telecom Ltd (HTL). An FIR is already registered in this case.The FIR had alleged that the former communications minister had helped Chaudhary's company in awarding a Rs 30 crore cable supply contract. The agency hadalso arrested Chaudhary, who was later released on bail.Ram had filed two separate petitions before the trial court for quashing of proceedings against him in the light of recent Supreme Court judgement in JMM case.
