New Delhi:
Former Union minister C K Jaffer Sharief was cleared in a 1995 corruption case by the Supreme Court today. The case was filed by the CBI, which said that Mr Sharief had caused the government a loss of Rs seven lakh by taking four ministry officials to London where he was being treated for ill-health. He was the Railway Minister at the time.
The court said that there was nothing illegal in taking ministry officials abroad, since it was a minister's decision and it was for the discharge of his duties. Mr Sharief was accused of 'dishonestly' ensuring journey of his erstwhile additional private secretary B N Nagesh, stenos S M Masthan and V Muralidharn, and driver C H Samaullah to London with him.
The trial court had admitted the CBI's charges and started the prosecution of Mr Sharief, who lost the case in the Delhi High Court. He then approached the Supreme Court, which today dismissed the charges against him.