Framing of charges ordered against former Minister Thungon

New Delhi, Oct 21 (UNI) A special CBI court today ordered framing of charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act against former Minister of State for Urban Development P K Thungon and 17 others in connection with a case of out-of-turn allotment of houses.

Besides Mr Thungon, 17 others, including D D Arora, Additional Personal Secretary to the then Urban Development Minister Sheila Kaul, were allegedly accused by the investigating agency in 1996 of receiving illegal gratification from over 100 Government employees for granting them out-of-turn accomodation during 1993-95.

The FIR against all the accused was lodged on February 14, 1996 following a Supreme Court order on a PIL, challenging the controversial Government policy on house allotment.

According to the CBI chargesheet filed in the case, Arora had hatched a criminal conspiracy with his son Virendra Arora and others and compelled the Government employees to pay bribe for out-of-turn allotment of houses.

Special judge, CBI, R K Yadav, adjourned the matter for framing of charges against the accused, including Thungon, for November one, 2008.

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