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Delhi Courts See Big Names In Politics, Business In 2019: Chidambaram, Shivakumar, Vadra, Singh Brothers

Delhi courts had an eventful 2019.

Shivinder Singh and his brother Malvinder Singh. (Source: Bloomberg)
Shivinder Singh and his brother Malvinder Singh. (Source: Bloomberg)

From handling cases involving senior Congress leaders P Chidambaram and DK Shivakumar, to awarding life term to expelled Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Legislative Assembly Kuldeep Singh Sengar for raping a minor in Unnao and dealing with lawyer-police clashes, Delhi courts had an eventful 2019.

The year saw them dealing with several other cases involving big names like Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi; former Bihar People's Party MLA Brajesh Thakur; former Union minister MJ Akbar; Ratul Puri, nephew of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath; and former promoters of Fortis Healthcare Malvinder and Shivinder Singh.

Chidambaram was finally able to walk out of jail on Dec. 4, after 105 days in custody, as by the apex court granted him bail in the INX Media money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate.

The 74-year old former Finance Minister had been in custody since Aug. 21 when he was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the INX Media corruption case. The Enforcement Directorate arrested him on Oct. 16.

File Photo: Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram. (Source: PTI)
File Photo: Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram. (Source: PTI)

A seven-time MLA in Karnataka, the 57-year old Shivakumar was arrested by the ED for alleged offences under Prevention of Money-Laundering Act on Sept. 3 and was granted bail on Oct. 23 by the Delhi High Court.

In another high profile case, a Delhi court granted anticipatory bail to Vadra in a money laundering case. It directed him not to leave the country without prior permission, among other conditions.

Delhi trial courts attracted national attention when Sengar was given life term for raping a minor girl in Unnao in 2017, underlining he will remain in jail for "remainder of his natural biological life".

The court also imposed an exemplary fine of Rs 25 lakh on him for the "depraved act" of a "democratic functionary" which led to erosion of citizens' faith in him.

The alleged sexual and physical assault on several girls at Bihar's Muzaffarpur shelter home, run by Thakur, former Bihar People's Party MLA was another infamous case dealt by a Delhi court.

There is  reportedly no murder charge against Sengar and his associates in the charge sheet.
There is reportedly no murder charge against Sengar and his associates in the charge sheet.

The hearing commenced in the case after it was transferred on Feb. 7 from a local court in Muzaffarpur to a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences court at Saket district court complex on the Supreme Court's directions. The trial court has reserved verdict for Jan. 14.

Delhi Police filed a charge sheet against former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and others, saying he had raised anti-India slogans in 2016 "to incite hatred and disaffection towards the government". The case however could not move further because after filing the final report police failed to get the requisite sanctions to prosecute Kumar.

Towards the end of the year, lawyers of all the six district courts in New Delhi went on a strike for two weeks after advocates and Delhi Police personnel clashed at Tis Hazari Court Complex on Nov. 2. The violence left at least 20 police personnel and several advocates injured.

Lawyers display placards during their protest against the police outside the Delhi High Court. (Source: PTI)
Lawyers display placards during their protest against the police outside the Delhi High Court. (Source: PTI)

Thousands of police personnel laid siege outside the police headquarters for 11 hours on Nov. 5 and staged a virtual revolt sparked by two attacks -- the other one at Saket district court complex on Nov. 4 -- on their colleagues by lawyers.

Businessman Puri had a hard time in 2019 on being arrested by the ED in two cases of money laundering -- the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam and a bank fraud -- and was able to come out of jail only after four months on secured bail in both the cases.

Other businessmen who faced the court's ire were Malvinder Singh and his brother Shivinder who were arrested by Delhi Police for allegedly misappropriating funds of Religare Finvest Ltd., and later by the ED in a related money laundering case. They are in judicial custody in both the cases.

Corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar, deported from Dubai on Jan. 30, was arrested by the CBI and the ED in a number of cases, which included the one where he acted as a middleman in negotiations to favour foreign private airlines, causing loss to national carrier Air India.

The other related to the purchase of 43 aircraft by erstwhile Indian Airlines from France's Airbus Industrie in 2005. He is in the ED custody in a money laundering case related to receiving foreign funding illegally. The case are before the courts in New Delhi.

A Delhi court also conducted the trial in a case of criminal defamation filed by Akbar against a female scribe on her sexual harassment allegations against him in as part of #MeToo movement.

Another case which made the headlines was the criminal defamation complaint filed by Vivek Doval, son of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, against senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and a news magazine for allegedly publishing a defamatory article.

Christian Michel, alleged middleman arrested in the chopper scam, failed to get any relief from the courts. He was extradited from Dubai on Dec. 22 last year.

Another alleged middleman, Rajiv Saxena, one of the accused named in the charge sheet filed by the ED in the Rs 3,600-crore scam and was extradited from Dubai to India on Jan. 31. He was granted bail on Feb. 25 as the ED requested the court to grant him pardon in the scam related case since he agreed to be an approver in the matter.

However, in October, ED approached the court seeking to cancel his bail and revoke the 'approver status', alleging he withheld information.

In May, the CBI withdrew from a Delhi court its application seeking permission to further probe the Rs 64-crore Bofors payoff case.

In September, a Delhi court closed a cheating and criminal intimidation case against Supreme Court's former employee who had levelled allegations of sexual misconduct against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi.

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