Setting aside a trial court order discharging former Union minister P K Thunganin a 14-year-old disproportionate assets (DA) case, the Delhi HC has ordered framing of charges against him and “expeditiously” proceed with the case.
Justice Sunil Gaur directed the accused to appear before the trial court on February 14 for framing of charges, saying “certainly prima facie case is made out to call upon respondent-accused (Thungan) to face the trial in this case”.
“Records of this case be transmitted to trial court forthwith and the parties through their counsel are directed to appear before the trial court on February 14…,” according to the court.
It also directed the trial court to “expeditiously” proceed with the case by giving shortest possible dates. The High Court passed the judgment while allowing the plea of the CBI which had challenged the Congress leader’s discharge by the trial court in the 1998 case.
According to the CBI chargesheet, the former minister of state for urban development (from January 1993 to September 1995) had acquired disproportionate assets worth over Rs one crore. On January 24, 2005, the trial court had discharged Thungan, saying he was not found in possession of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
“Rather prosecution’s own material shows that the income of the accused (Thungan) was much more than the assets found in his possession,” the trial court had told.
