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A Delhi court on Tuesday, November 12, acquitted former Congress MP Jagdish Tytler and businessman Abhishek Verma in a high-profile cheating and forgery case linked to the extension of visas for Chinese telecom officials. The charges stemmed from a 2009 forged letter allegedly used to assure Chinese executives that visa rules were set to be relaxed, reported Bar and Bench.
Judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Court ruled in favor of Tytler and Verma, clearing them of charges that had persisted for over a decade.
According to the prosecution, in 2012, the accused allegedly forged a letter on the letterhead of then-Union Minister Ajay Maken. This letter was purportedly addressed to then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, suggesting that visa regulations for Chinese officials would soon be relaxed.
The background of the case lies in a 2009 directive from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, which required all foreign nationals in India on business visas to either renew their visas or exit the country by October 2009.
It was alleged that Verma and Tytler, approached by officials of a Chinese telecom company, provided assurances that the government was moving towards easing visa requirements.
This assurance was reportedly given by leveraging the forged letter, allegedly to reassure the telecom executives and to secure illegal benefits.
Following a complaint by Ajay Maken, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) launched an investigation, which led to charges against the two under multiple sections, including Sections 420 (cheating), 471 (use of forged documents), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Court ruled in favor of Tytler and Verma, clearing them of charges that had persisted for over a decade.
According to the prosecution, in 2012, the accused allegedly forged a letter on the letterhead of then-Union Minister Ajay Maken. This letter was purportedly addressed to then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, suggesting that visa regulations for Chinese officials would soon be relaxed.
The background of the case lies in a 2009 directive from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, which required all foreign nationals in India on business visas to either renew their visas or exit the country by October 2009.
It was alleged that Verma and Tytler, approached by officials of a Chinese telecom company, provided assurances that the government was moving towards easing visa requirements.
This assurance was reportedly given by leveraging the forged letter, allegedly to reassure the telecom executives and to secure illegal benefits.
Following a complaint by Ajay Maken, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) launched an investigation, which led to charges against the two under multiple sections, including Sections 420 (cheating), 471 (use of forged documents), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
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