Court frames charges against Tytler, Abhishek Verma

Congress leader Jagdish Tytler and businessman Abhishek Verma were on Wednesday put on trial by a Delhi court which said they had prima facie dishonestly used a fake letter addressed to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by then Minister of State for Home Ajay Maken in 2009 to obtain illegal gratification from a private firm.

Special Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna framed charges against both the accused observing that it was evident that Tytler had full knowledge of the nature and purpose of transaction being entered into between Verma and officials of M/s ZTE Telecom India Pvt Ltd.

The court framed charges against Tytler, who is out on bail, for alleged offences under various sections of IPC including 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document) and under section 8 of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act dealing with taking gratification by corrupt or illegal means to influence public servant.

Verma, who is in judicial custody in various cases lodged against him, was put on trial for alleged offences under sections 120-B read with 420, 471, 511 (attempt to commit an offence) of IPC and under section 8 of the PC Act.

The court said prima facie, both the accused had tried to cheat the officials of ZTE Telecom India Pvt Ltd on the basis of forged letter and Verma had demanded bribe of Rs 50 lakh to sort out the visa issue of their employees.