HC seeks CBI’s reply on Ramadoss’ plea against trial court order

The Delhi high court on Monday sought the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) response on a plea of former Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, challenging a trial court’s order on framing of charges against him in two corruption cases.

A Bench of Justice Suresh Kait sought the agency’s reply in four weeks but refused to pass any order on another plea of Ramadoss seeking exemption from personal appearance.

“Issue notice to respondent (CBI). Reply to be filed in four weeks and rejoinder thereafter,” the Bench said.

On the plea for exemption from personal appearance, it said that Ramadoss should first move the application before the trial court and if it is dismissed then he can avail the remedy as per law. The Bench posted the matter for further hearing on February 3.

The trial court had on October 7 said that prima facie various offences including criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery under the IPC and other provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act relating to public servant abusing official position were made out against Ramadoss and several others.

The trial court had said that the PMK leader had "criminally conspired" with other accused and abused his authority.

In his plea, Ramadoss has claimed that the charge sheet was rewritten and evidence was planted at later stage.

He also said that during order on framing of charges, he was charged under various new offences, which was not even mentioned in the charge sheet.

Ramadoss was the Union Health Minister from May 2004 till April 2009 in the UPA-I government.  The two graft cases relate to alleged favours shown by Ramadoss and other accused to a private medical college, Rohilkhand Medical College and Hospital (RMCH), Bareilly, in Uttar Pradesh and Indore-based Index Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (IMCHRC). In the case of IMCHRC, apart from Ramadoss, the court had ordered framing of charges against then deputy secretary in the Health and Family Welfare Ministry KVS Rao, college chairman S S Bhadoria, its employees Nitin Gothwal and Pawan Bhambhani.

The trial court had said they were prima facie found to have committed the offences under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC read with section 13(2) and 13(1)(d) (abuse of power by public servant) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and sections 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating) and 471 (using forged documents as genuine) of IPC. This charges were objected to by the PMK leader. In the RMCH case, besides Ramadoss and Rao, the court had ordered framing of charges against college chairman K K Aggarwal.