The Hindu : Front Page : Rahul Mahajan charge-sheeted

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Friday, Aug 04, 2006

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Rahul Mahajan charge-sheeted

Staff Reporter

Five others charged in drug abuse case; accused asked to appear in court on August 5

NEW DELHI: The Delhi police on Thursday charge-sheeted Rahul Mahajan, son of slain Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Parmod Mahajan, Harish Sharma, former personal assistant of the late BJP leader, and four others in the drug abuse case.

Taking cognisance of the charge sheet, special judge S.N. Gupta summoned all the accused to appear in person in the court on August 5.

The police charge-sheeted Mr. Mahajan under Section 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), Section 27A (financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders), and Section 29 (abetment and criminal conspiracy) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

His co-accused Sahil Zaroo was chargesheeted under Sections 21,25,27,27A and 29 of the NDPS Act and Section 419 (cheating by impersonation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Besides these, the police also charge-sheeted two Nigerian nationals — Abdul Latif Ashola alias Mohammed Abdullah and Egbedokun James Taiwo under Section 21, 27A and 29 of the NDPS Act.

Pramod Mahajan's former personal assistant Harish Sharma and Ganesh Sharma, servant of Rahul Mahajan, were charge-sheeted under Section 201 (destruction of evidence) of the IPC.

However, the police did not charge sheet Nigerian national Ibririm Ugochukwu Ifeanyi saying that there was not sufficient evidence against him.

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

The charge sheet said 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, official residence of the late BJP leader.

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

The case had made headlines when Apollo Hospital authorities here informed the Tughlak Road police station in the early hours of June 2 that Rahul Mahajan had been admitted to the hospital in an unconscious state while Moitra had been brought dead.

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