Delhi court acquits all accused in decades-old President's Secretariat forgery case

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Saturday acquitted all surviving accused in a decades-old case arising out of alleged fabrication of records in the President's Secretariat, saying that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that a forged representation was created or that any criminal conspiracy existed.

In a detailed judgment, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Jyoti Maheshwari of the Rouse Avenue Court acquitted Mohan Lal Jatia, Ashok Jatia and Ashok Jain of charges under Sections 120B, 193, 199, 218, 466 and 471 of the IPC, bringing to a close a case that originated from directions issued by the Supreme Court in 1994.

The apex court had directed its Registrar General to file a complaint under Section 340 CrPC, leading to the initiation of criminal proceedings against six accused persons, including public officials and private individuals.

Describing the matter as "the oldest case on the docket of this Court," the judge noted that the prosecution story stemmed from allegations that the accused had conspired to fabricate evidence regarding a representation purportedly submitted to the President of India in April 1986 to secure relief for a COFEPOSA detenu.

"The entire adjudication in the present case revolves around the question, as to whether the written representation dated April 11, 1986, was ever delivered in the Office of President of India on April 15, 1986, or not," the Supreme Court order said.