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September 29, 2000

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Chronology of the JMM MPs' bribery case

The chronology of developments in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha parliamentarians' bribery case in which the trial court of Additional Sessions Judge Ajit Bharihoke delivered its judgement on Friday:

January 1, 1996: Rashtriya Mukti Morcha president Ravinder Kumar approaches the Central Bureau of Investigation, seeking booking of a case for alleged bribing of Opposition parliamentarians to vote against a July 28, 1993 no-confidence motion against then P V Narasimha Rao Government.
March 25, 1996: CBI registers four first information reports against JMM MPs Suraj Mandal, Shibu Soren, Simon Marandi and Shailendra Mahato.
May 24, 1996: Delhi high court orders CBI to register fresh a FIR on the basis of an RMM complaint which had named Rao.
September 4, 1996: CBI questions Narasimha Rao.
Sept 5, 1996: Soren, Marandi, Mandal arrested in Delhi.
Sept 6, 1996: Mahato arrested in Jamshedpur.
October 30, 1996: CBI files first charge-sheet, naming Rao, Buta Singh, Satish Sharma, Soren, Mandal, Marandi and Mahato as accused.
November 8, 1996: Rao gets anticipatory bail from Delhi high court.
December 9, 1996: CBI files second charge-sheet naming V Rajeshwar Rao, H M Revenna, Ramalinga Reddy, M Veerappa Moily, D K Adikeshavalu and M Thimme Gowda as accused.
January 4, 1997: Marandi, Mandal, Soren and Mahato released on bail after being in jail for four months.
Jan 22, 1997: CBI files third charge-sheet naming eight as accused: Ajit Singh, R L Yadav, Bhajan Lal, Ram Saran Yadav, Abhay Pratap Singh, Haji Ghulam Mohammed, Roshan Lal and Anadi Charan Das.
March 17, 1997: Mahato seeks to become approver.
April 8, 1997: Court permits Mahato to turn approver, pardons him.
May 6, 1997: Trial court decides to frame charges against all 20 accused, rejects petitions to name then Congress president Sitaram Kesri as accused.
September 12, 1997: Delhi high court upholds trial court decision to frame charges.
September 15, 1997: Trial court frames charges against Rao, 19 others.
October 13, 1997: Rao, Bhajan, Moily file special leave petitions in Supreme Court seeking constitutional immunity under Article 105. Court issues notice to CBI, but refuses to stay trial.
November 18, 1997: Three-member SC bench refers SLPs to constitution bench for interpretation of Article 105.
April 17, 1998: In a three-two verdict, SC rules that Article 105(2) of the Constitution provides immunity to bribe-takers -- Mandal, Soren, Marandi, Mahato, R L Yadav, Roshan Lal, Anadicharan Das, Abhay Pratap Singh, Haji Ghulam Mohammed -- as their act involved voting in Parliament. Those accused of giving bribes are liable to prosecution.
December 8, 1998: Government seeks review of judgement. SC subsequently dismisses petition, citing the long delay on the part of the government.
May 20, 1998: Ajit Singh, R L Yadav, eight others move trial court seeking discharge in the light of SC verdict.
June 4, 1999: Nine accused -- Marandi, Soren and Mandal (besides approver Mahato who was also a JMM MP), -- and former break-away Janata Dal-A MPs - Ram Lakhan Singh Yadav, who was also a Union minister, Abhay Pratap Singh, Anadi Charan Das, Ram Sharan, Roshan Lal and Haji Ghulam Mohammed -- discharged.
May 30, 2000: Trial ends, judge reserves judgement.
September 29, 2000: Court delivers judgement. Convicts Narasimha Rao and Buta Singh but acquits nine others including Bhajan Lal, Ajit Singh and Rajeshwar Rao.

UNI

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