SC Stays Graft Case Proceedings against C K Jaffer Sharief

A special CBI court had yesterday framed charges against the former minister for allegedly causing loss to the public exchequer during the foreign jaunt undertaken by him.

The special court has fixed August 21 for commencing the trial of Sharief, who has been charged with various offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

On May 10, the apex court had refused to stay the framing of charges against Sharief.

An FIR was registered against Sharief in 1998 by CBI. However, in 2005, the agency filed a closure report citing refusal of sanction.

But the lower court rejected the closure report, saying it appeared that the entire material collected by the prosecution had not been placed before sanctioning authority.

CBI again filed a closure report. The special judge, however, had declined the agency's request and took cognisance of the case under the anti-corruption law.

Sharief's plea against the trial court's decision was rejected by the high court, which had stated that his act did not require sanction under the CrPC to try him for offences under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act.

He had then approached the apex court against the order of the high court.