The Hindu : National : Trial of Rahul Mahajan, others to begin on February 21

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Thursday, Jan 11, 2007
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Trial of Rahul Mahajan, others to begin on February 21

Staff Reporter

He is to face trial under many sections of NDPS Act

NEW DELHI: A special court for Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act cases here on Wednesday fixed February 21 as the date for beginning trial in the drug abuse case in which Rahul Mahajan, son of slain Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pramod Mahajan, Harish Sharma, former personal assistant to the late BJP leader, and four others are being prosecuted.

Special Judge S. N. Gupta fixed the date for commencing the trial after Mr. Mahajan and his co-accused pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

Framing charges against the accused persons on January 6, the court had decided to try them saying that prima facie there was sufficient material on record against them.

However, Special Judge S. N. Gupta had discharged Mr. Mahajan of the charge of financing illicit trafficking of drugs and harbouring offenders under Section 27A of the NDPS Act.

Mr. Mahajan will face trial under Sections 21 (possession of drugs); Section 25 (allowing premises for commission of an offence); Section 27 (illegal possession in small quantity for personal consumption of any narcotic drugs); and Section 29 (abetment and criminal conspiracy) of the NDPS Act.

His co-accused Sahil Zaroo will face trial under Sections 21and 27 and 29 of the NDPS Act and Section 419 (cheating by impersonation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Harish Sharma and Ganesh, servant of Rahul Mahajan, will face trial under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 201 (destruction of evidence) of the IPC.

Two Nigerian nationals — Abdul Latif Ashola alias Mohammed Abdullah will face trial under Sections 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act while Egbedokun James Taiwo will be prosecuted under Sections 29 read with 21-B (possession more than five grams of drugs) of the Act.

All the accused except the two Nigerian nationals are out on bail.

Chargesheet

The Delhi police chargesheeted the accused persons in August last year alleging that Sahil had procured the drug at the instance of Mr. Mahajan and later the two along with Bibek Moitra (since dead), former personal secretary of Pramod Mahajan, had snorted it at 7 Safdarjung Road, erstwhile official residence of the BJP leader.

Police have kept Moitra in column two of the charge-sheet, which is for accused not set up for trial.

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