The Hindu : New Delhi News : Swraj Paul, son exempted from personal appearance

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 09, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Swraj Paul, son exempted from personal appearance

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, FEB. 8. The Delhi High Court today exempted the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) and Britain-based industrialist, Lord Swraj Paul, his son, Angad Paul, and another person from daily personal appearance before a court in a criminal complaint accusing them of cheating, forgery and breach of trust.

Granting exemption to the duo, Justice Goel said that "no coercive action shall be taken against Lord Paul and his son Angad Paul and Collin G. Steele," till March 23, the next date of hearing of the applications filed by them in the High Court seeking quashing of the summons issued by a court here last year. However, Ms. Justice Goel asked the other accused enjoying Indian citizenship to appear before the court on February 16. On November 14 last year, a court summoned Lord Paul, his son and others on a complaint filed by M.D. Jindal, chairman-cum-managing director, Caparo Maruti Limited (CML), a joint venture company with the Maruti Udyog Limited (MUL), accusing Lord Paul, his son and four others of siphoning off funds of the company by entering into circular transactions and committing acts of forgery.

Summoning the accused persons on February 16, the Metropolitan Magistrate (MM), Vinay Kumar Khanna, said: "On considering the testimony of witnesses and material on record, I am satisfied that there are sufficient ground to proceed against Lord Paul, his son and the others under Sections 120-B (conspiracy) read with 409 (criminal breach of trust), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document which is known to be forged), 477 (fraudulently destroying or defacing or attempting to destroy or deface or secreting a will), 477A (falsification of accounts) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code."

Lord Paul and his son Angad Paul are on the Board of Directors of the CML.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi