A court today sentenced former Indian Prime Minister Narasimha Rao and a former Cabinet minister to three years in prison for bribery and corruption.
Published:
13 October 2000 y., Friday
A court today sentenced former Indian Prime Minister Narasimha Rao and a former Cabinet minister to three years in prison for bribery and corruption.
Rao, 79, and former Home Minister Buta Singh also were fined $2,150 for bribing legislators in 1993 to back Rao in a crucial confidence vote. Rao's government survived that vote.
"I hereby sentence the accused P.V. Narisimha Rao and Buta Singh to rigorous imprisonment up to three years and a fine of 100,000 rupees ($2,150)," special court judge Ajit Barihoke said.
Rao and Singh also received bail until November 8, to allow them time to appeal the convictions and sentences. Defense lawyers said they would file appeals. Rao and Singh had faced maximum sentences of seven years in jail.
The two were convicted on September 29 of criminal conspiracy, bribery and corruption. Nine other defendants had been acquitted. Rao, who held office from 1991-96, is the first Indian prime minister to be convicted in a criminal case.
Rao became prime minister in elections after Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991. Rao was credited with launching India's free-market reforms. In 1996, Rao led the Congress Party to its worst election defeat in 111 years. He resigned after that loss.
Šaltinis:
europe.cnn.com
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
The twentieth anniversary of the Baltic Way was commemorated in Tokyo.
more »
After an emotional funeral service in Boston and a 90-minute flight from Massachusetts, the flag-draped casket holding Edward Kennedy arrived by motorcade in Washington, D.C. for a final visit to the U.S. Capitol Building, the political home for the senior Senator of Massachusetts for almost half a century.
more »
Mike Perham has become the youngest person to sail single handedly round the world. It's also the dream of another teenager in the Netherlands.
more »
Whenever its member countries are hit by natural disasters, the EU steps in to help coordinate assistance and fund the reconstruction of essential infrastructure.
more »
Inside this tiny house in central Cuba a woman rekindles old fashioned romance in a modern age. Liudmila Quincose writes love letters for a living.
more »
A traditional drum beat opens the 2009 World Karate Championships in Japan.
more »
Scientists are investigating the death of about 300 sea lions on the coast of Chile.
more »
Carmen Valverde and her dog Tomas were out for a walk in their Lima, Peru neighborhood when Tomas was snatched from her side.
more »
It was never going to be a quiet affair when Lance Armstrong put out an invitation on twitter for fans to join him on a bike ride around a Scottish town.
more »
About half of the British public feel there is a general negative bias in reporting on EU affairs on television, radio and in the written press, with written press reports seen as the most negative, according to a public opinion poll published by the European Commission today.
more »