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Rao, Buta get 3 years RI, and bail; CBI to file case against JMM ex-MPs

Onkar Singh and Neena Haridas in New Delhi

Former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao and his former cabinet colleague Buta Singh were both sentenced to three years' rigorous imprisonment in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha bribery case on Thursday by Additional Sessions Judge Ajit Bharihoke.

Giving them bail till November 8, Judge Bharihoke asked Rao and Singh to pay a personal bond of Rs 200,000 each along with one surety each of the like amount.

The judge sentenced them to three years' RI and a fine of Rs 100,000 under Sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and three years' RI and a fine of Rs 100,000 under Section 13 (1) (d) of the act. The sentences are to run concurrently.

Rao and Singh have been convicted for having committed offences under Section 120b of the Indian Penal Code (criminal conspiracy) read with Sections 7, 12, 13(2) and 13(1)(d) of the PCA as well as substantive offences under Section 12.

Judge Bharihoke also directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to register cases against three former JMM MPs -- Suraj Mandal, Simon Marandi and Shibu Soren -- who had received bribes to save the Rao-led government during a vote of no-confidence on July 28, 1993.

However, the judge did not order any registration of case against the fourth former MP, Shailendra Mahto, who had turned approver during the course of the trial and whose confessional statement that the four MPs had received payments was treated by the court as crucial evidence.

The judge ordered the registration of cases against the three former JMM MPs under Section 31 (13) of the PCA for having Rs 1.2 crore in their bank accounts.

Rao came to the court at 1345, shortly before the sentence was announced, while Singh came to the court at 1330.

Among the prominent people spotted at the Vigyan Bhavan annexe, where the court was in session, were former Youth Congress president M S Bitta, 'godman' Chandra Swami, and former Punjab police chief K P S Gill.

Ayub Khan, Rao's counsel, said they would appeal against the sentence in the Delhi high court on Monday.

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