CBI files appeal against Bhandari's acquittal in DA case

Gangtok, June 18 (UNI) The CBI today filed an appeal at the Sikkim High Court against the acquittal order of former chief minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari in a disproportionate assets case passed by Namchi special court on March 21.

CBI public prosecutor V K Sharma, who filed the 22-page appeal at the Court, said the acquittal order was a ''gross miscarriage of justice'.

'' We have presented in the appeal that the learned Special Judge misread the facts and law on record and caused gross miscarriage of justice by way of acquittal of the accused in the disproportionate case,'' said Mr Sharma.

The appeal was submitted to the deputy registrar of the High Court which will be presented to the Chief Justice this evening.

Accordingly, the case will come up for hearing on a later date, added, the CBI prosecutor.

Bhandari had been given a clean chit by the CBI-designated special court at Namchi on March 21 in the disproportionate assets case filed against him by the CBI.

The CBI had registered the case in 1997 and the chargesheet against Bhandari had been filed in court of special judge (Prevention of Corruption Act) in 2001. The CBI had alleged that Bhandari had amassed assets worth Rs 53.6 lakhs which were disproportionate to his known sources of income.

However, the Special Judge Tashi Wangdi in his 51-page judgement acquitted the former chief minister of all charges levelled against him.

UNI