Yadav discharged in hawala scam

Yadav had moved an appeal in the high court against the August 1, 1997 order of special judge V B Gupta directing framing of charges under Section 120b (criminal conspiracy) and various other provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act against him on the ground that the Janata Dal leader had made a “extra judicial confession” of receiving Rs three lakh from the Jainbrothers.

Quashing the trial court order, the high court observed that Yadav’s video interview to the private TV programme did not amount to a confession’. The court also quashed Yadav’s bail bond furnished by him before the trial court.

The trial court, which had discharged several politicians and bureaucrats from the case, had refused to clear Yadav from the charges saying that he had reiterated his statement made to Aap Ki Adalat, before the media in January 1996.

Reacting to his acquittal, Sharad Yadav today said he would strive to infuse transparency in the process of political parties accepting donations.

Talking to reporters after the Delhi High Court discharged him of the charge, he said he and his party had to suffer for three long years for speaking the truth. He said he had admitted to having received the money but that had been accounted for in the returns that the Janata Dal filed before the Income-tax authorities.

“My detractors used the charge to cause immense harm,” hesaid.

Yadav said his party which had gained in strength from forces which had left it rejoining it would bring the issue of corruption in public life back in focus.

About the ongoing elections, he said the JD (U)-BJP combine would get a comfortable majority in the Assembly polls in Karnataka while in Bihar the alliance would sweep the Lok Sabha elections. “It will be an unprecedented victory for us in Bihar,” he added.