The Hindu : National : Satish Sharma cleared

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005

National

National

Satish Sharma cleared

Staff Reporter

Satish Sharma

NEW DELHI: A Special Court for CBI cases on Tuesday discharged the former Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Capt. Satish Sharma, and others in all 15 criminal cases relating to the allotment of petrol pumps and cooking gas distribution agencies from the Minister's discretionary quota allegedly in violation of norms between 1993-96 when he was holding the portfolio.

The Special Judge for CBI cases, Partibha Rani, discharged Capt. Sharma by accepting a closure report filed by the investigating agency in November 2004. In its closure report, the CBI had informed the court that it decided to close the cases because the Union Ministry for Home Affairs had refused to give sanction for prosecution of Capt. Sharma.

The investigating agency had also produced a letter of the Ministry of September 27, 2004 by which the Ministry had refused to give sanction for prosecution of the accused persons.

In its closure report, the CBI further submitted that in the light of the decision of the Ministry, it had decided to close the cases as Mr. Sharma and the other accused could not be prosecuted without the mandatory sanction under Section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

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