The Supreme Court has granted an extension of six months to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for completion of trial in a forgery and corruption case involving Congress leader Jagdish Tytler and arms dealer Abhishek Verma.
Earlier, the Apex Court had given six months to the national agency in October 2022 to conclude the trial.
However, the national agency sought an extension of six months, stating that it needed more time to complete the proceedings.
In April this year, Special Judge M.K. Nagpal of the Rouse Avenue District Court had written a letter to the Apex Court, seeking extension of six months for the federal agency to wrap up its investigation.
The top court of the country approved the request lat week, granting CBI time till March 2024 to complete the probe.
A complaint was initially filed by the then Minister of State for Home Ajay Maken in 2009, claiming that a forged letter on his letterhead was written to the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, seeking to ease business visa norms.
The forged letter was given to a China-based telecom firm with the purpose of wrongfully assuring them of a visa extension in India.
Tytler and Verma were booked under the relevant Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860 and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for allegedly conspiring to defraud Chinese telecom firms.
CBI alleged that Tytler colluded with Verma to defraud a Chinese telecom firm. As per prosecution, Tytler showed the fake letter to the company’s officials, purporting it to be a communication from Maken to the Prime Minister.