22 years on..CBI court sentences ex-PM's kin, others in urea scam
NEW DELHI: Nearly 22 years after CBI had registered a case (popularly known as the urea scam) — a special CBI Court in Delhi on Thursday sentenced former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao's nephew — B Sanjeeva Rao for three years rigorous imprisonment (RI) with a fine of Rs 1 crore; two Turkish nationals — Tuncay Alankus and Cihan Karanchi for 6 years RI with a fine of Rs 100 crore each.
Others sentenced by Special CBI court include — C K Ramakrishnan (former CMD of National fertilizer Limited), D S Kanwar (former executive director - marketing - NFL), both to undergo 3 years of Rigorous Imprisonment with fine of Rs 6 lakh each, one M Sambasiva Rao for 3 years RI with fine of Rs 5 crore, Prakash Chand Yadav for 3 years RI with fine of Rs 1.01 crore and D Mallesham Gaud to undergo 3 years RI with fine of Rs 5 crore.
CBI had registered a case on May 19, 1996, against CK Ramakrishnan and others. It was alleged that accused persons entered into a criminal conspiracy and cheated National Fertilizer Limited to the tune of Rs 133 Crore.
The muti-crore deal was signed with a fly-by-night Turkish company, which was supposed to deliver two lakh tonnes of urea to India. Curiously the entire sum disappeared from Indian shores to various accounts around the globe. The Turkish firm, in turn, disappeared from Turkey.
Not a gram of urea reached India. Seven months later, as the scam broke, the key suspects—the former prime minister's son, Prabhakar Rao, and former fertiliser minister Ram Lakhan Singh Yadav's son Prakash Chandra Yadav—issued vehement denials.
