Documents were forged to allege that former prime minister V.P. Singh was a beneficiary of his son Ajeya Singh’s account in the First Trust Corp. at St Kitts, with a deposit of 140 carore.
The CBI alleged that between November 1983 and October 1989, Mr. Rao, Mr. Tewari, Chandraswami, K.N. Aggarwal and others entered into a criminal conspiracy with the objective of forging and fabricating certain documents relating to a non-existent bank account in the First Trust Corporation Limited in St. Kitts in the name of Ajey Singh with V.P. Singh as a beneficiary.
August 20, 1989: A story is
published in Kuwait-based 'Arab Times' alleging that Janata Dal leader V
P Singh was the main beneficiary of a secret bank account with deposits
amounting to USD 21 million in Carribean Island St Kitts.
August 22, 1989: The story is picked up by Indian media.
September 26, 1989: A P Nandey, Deputy Director in the Enforcement Directorate (ED), appointed to probe the charges.
October 9, 1989: Nanday submits his report to ED after visiting the US and St Kitts.
October 11, 1989: Minister of State for Finance Eduardo Faleiro tables the report in Rajya Sabha. Two days later, it is presented before Lok Sabha.
November 26, 1989: Lok Sabha general elections.
December 2, 1989: V P Singh becomes Prime Minister after Rajiv Gandhi demits office following his party's poll debacle.
May 25, 1990: CBI registers FIR against ED Director K L Verma, Nandey, controversial self-styled godman Chandraswami, his aide K N Agarwal alias Mamaji, arms dealer Adnan Kashoggi's son-in-law Larry J Kolb and First Trust Corporation Ltd, St Kitts, Managing Director George McLean.
November 10, 1990: V P Singh government falls.
March 1991: CBI Joint Director N K Singh investigating the case transferred. He wanted to interrogate Chandraswami.
June 21, 1991: P V Narasimha Rao becomes Prime Minister.
November 1995: Nandey dies.
Till January 1996: No progress in CBI probe.
February 10, 1996: People's Union or Civil Liberties moves Supreme Court seeking disclosure of CBI's findings.
February 13, 1996: Supreme Court orders combining of charges against Chandraswami in various petitions and allegations of Narasimha Rao's involvement.
March 25, 1996: CBI files affidavit showing only limited role of Rao in the case.
May 16, 1996: Rao demits office.
July 26, 1996: Supreme Court tells CBI not to close probe against Rao in the cases without its prior permission.
July 1996: CBI recommends Rao's prosecution.
August 1996: CBI seeks opinion from the then Attorney General Ashok Desai.
September 26, 1996: CBI chargesheets Rao, Chandraswami, Mamaji and former External Affairs Minister K K Tewari for criminal conspiracy to tarnish V P Singh's reputation.
October 4, 1996: Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Prem Kumar issues NBW against Rao. The same evening, at a special sitting, Delhi High Court grants anticipatory bail to Rao.
October 9, 1996: CBI arrests Rao at his residence in New Delhi, but releases him on bail.
November 4, 1996: CMM rejects Rao's bail plea and asks him to surrender on November 14. Rao moves Delhi High Court.
November 8, 1996: Rao gets interim bail in the case from Delhi High Court.
Dec 3, 1996: Delhi HC issues notice to CBI on PUCL plea for inclusion of former Congress leaders Capt. Satish Sharma and R K Dhawan as accused after Nandey and H C Nahata named them in their confessional statements.
December 5, 1996: Delhi High Court quashes proceedings against Verma for want of sanction to prosecute him. April 10, 1997: Delhi High Court rejects PUCL plea to prosecute Sharma and Dhawan.
May 21, 1997: Rao's counsel R K Anand tells the trial court that Rao ordered enquiry into the reported St Kitts account on late Rajiv Gandhi's instructions.
June 4, 1997: Special Judge Ajit Bharihoke discharges Rao and Tewari for want of substantial evidence against them and orders framing of charges against Chandraswami and Mamaji.
July 3, 1997: Special Court formally frames charges against Chandraswami and Mamaji of criminal conspiracy, fabricating false evidence, forgery for the purpose of harming reputation and using as genuine a forged document. CBI fails to secure presence of Larry J Kolb, while McLean died.
July 28, 1997: Trial commences.
December 23, 1999: HC upholds trial court's decision to discharge Rao and Tewari.
Dec 6, 2000: SC rejects CBI SLP against Rao's discharge.
February 22, 2001: Ajeya Singh deposes.
May 9, 2001: V P Singh deposes.
January 30, 2004: Investigating Officer Keshav Mishra, an Additional Superintendent of Police with CBI, deposes.
August 22, 1989: The story is picked up by Indian media.
September 26, 1989: A P Nandey, Deputy Director in the Enforcement Directorate (ED), appointed to probe the charges.
October 9, 1989: Nanday submits his report to ED after visiting the US and St Kitts.
October 11, 1989: Minister of State for Finance Eduardo Faleiro tables the report in Rajya Sabha. Two days later, it is presented before Lok Sabha.
November 26, 1989: Lok Sabha general elections.
December 2, 1989: V P Singh becomes Prime Minister after Rajiv Gandhi demits office following his party's poll debacle.
May 25, 1990: CBI registers FIR against ED Director K L Verma, Nandey, controversial self-styled godman Chandraswami, his aide K N Agarwal alias Mamaji, arms dealer Adnan Kashoggi's son-in-law Larry J Kolb and First Trust Corporation Ltd, St Kitts, Managing Director George McLean.
November 10, 1990: V P Singh government falls.
March 1991: CBI Joint Director N K Singh investigating the case transferred. He wanted to interrogate Chandraswami.
June 21, 1991: P V Narasimha Rao becomes Prime Minister.
November 1995: Nandey dies.
Till January 1996: No progress in CBI probe.
February 10, 1996: People's Union or Civil Liberties moves Supreme Court seeking disclosure of CBI's findings.
February 13, 1996: Supreme Court orders combining of charges against Chandraswami in various petitions and allegations of Narasimha Rao's involvement.
March 25, 1996: CBI files affidavit showing only limited role of Rao in the case.
May 16, 1996: Rao demits office.
July 26, 1996: Supreme Court tells CBI not to close probe against Rao in the cases without its prior permission.
July 1996: CBI recommends Rao's prosecution.
August 1996: CBI seeks opinion from the then Attorney General Ashok Desai.
September 26, 1996: CBI chargesheets Rao, Chandraswami, Mamaji and former External Affairs Minister K K Tewari for criminal conspiracy to tarnish V P Singh's reputation.
October 4, 1996: Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Prem Kumar issues NBW against Rao. The same evening, at a special sitting, Delhi High Court grants anticipatory bail to Rao.
October 9, 1996: CBI arrests Rao at his residence in New Delhi, but releases him on bail.
November 4, 1996: CMM rejects Rao's bail plea and asks him to surrender on November 14. Rao moves Delhi High Court.
November 8, 1996: Rao gets interim bail in the case from Delhi High Court.
Dec 3, 1996: Delhi HC issues notice to CBI on PUCL plea for inclusion of former Congress leaders Capt. Satish Sharma and R K Dhawan as accused after Nandey and H C Nahata named them in their confessional statements.
December 5, 1996: Delhi High Court quashes proceedings against Verma for want of sanction to prosecute him. April 10, 1997: Delhi High Court rejects PUCL plea to prosecute Sharma and Dhawan.
May 21, 1997: Rao's counsel R K Anand tells the trial court that Rao ordered enquiry into the reported St Kitts account on late Rajiv Gandhi's instructions.
June 4, 1997: Special Judge Ajit Bharihoke discharges Rao and Tewari for want of substantial evidence against them and orders framing of charges against Chandraswami and Mamaji.
July 3, 1997: Special Court formally frames charges against Chandraswami and Mamaji of criminal conspiracy, fabricating false evidence, forgery for the purpose of harming reputation and using as genuine a forged document. CBI fails to secure presence of Larry J Kolb, while McLean died.
July 28, 1997: Trial commences.
December 23, 1999: HC upholds trial court's decision to discharge Rao and Tewari.
Dec 6, 2000: SC rejects CBI SLP against Rao's discharge.
February 22, 2001: Ajeya Singh deposes.
May 9, 2001: V P Singh deposes.
January 30, 2004: Investigating Officer Keshav Mishra, an Additional Superintendent of Police with CBI, deposes.
April 4, 2004: Recording of prosecution evidence closed.
August 9, 2004: Chandraswami tells the CBI court that V P Singh government falsely implicated him in the case due to his proximity with former Prime Ministers Rao and Rajiv Gandhi.
August 31, 2004: Mamaji dies of prostrate cancer.
September 30, 2004: Special Judge Dinesh Dayal fixes October 25 for pronouncing verdict after final arguments.
October 25, 2004: Chandraswami acquitted.
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