Court fixes November 19 for hearing arguments against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler

A special court on Thursday fixed November 19 for hearing arguments on framing of charges in a case in which Congress leader Jagdish Tytler and businessman Abhishek Verma have been chargesheeted by CBI for allegedly sending a forged letter to the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2009.

Special CBI Judge VK Gupta fixed the matter for arguments on November 19, having taken cognisance of the agency's charge sheet on September 6 last year .

The charge sheet was filed on a complaint of the then Minister of State for Home Ajay Maken alleging that a forged letter on his letterhead was written to the then Prime Minister by Verma seeking easing of business visa norms in 2009.

Tytler and Verma have been chargesheeted for the offence of attempting to cheat under the IPC and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Tytler was earlier granted bail by the court after he had appeared before it in pursuance to the summons issued against him.

Verma is in Tihar Jail under judicial custody after being arrested in various cases lodged against him by CBI and Enforcement Directorate.

CBI, in its charge sheet, had alleged that Tytler had "actively connived" with Verma to cheat a Chinese telecom firm and the Congress leader had first shown a "fake and forged" letter to the company's officials, claiming it was written by Maken to the then Prime Minister.

CBI had also alleged that "investigation has, therefore, revealed that Jagdish Tytler had knowingly and actively connived with Abhishek Verma in attempting to cheat M/s ZTE Telecom India Pvt Ltd".