Rajasthan High Court slams the trial court for controversial Order against Arun Shourie and others in the Udaipur Laxmi Vilas Hotel disinvestment case

Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday slammed the Trial Court’s Order rejecting the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s closure report indicting Arun Shourie for the 2001 Union Cabinet-approved disinvestment of Udaipur Laxmi Vilas Hotel. The High Court came down hard on the lower court and asked how the trial Judge of the Special Court of Jodhpur came to such a conclusion and asked for the arrest of persons and seizure of the Hotel and handing over to the State Government. The High Court’s Order came on the review petition filed by Bharat Hotel’s current promoter Jyotsna Suri, who was also indicted along with Arun Shourie and other retired IAS officials. In effect, the controversial order of the trial court is stayed by the High Court asking the persons to appear in the trial court and ordering not to arrest any.

“Having heard learned Counsel for the parties and upon perusal of the material available on record, this Court (High Court) is of the prima facie opinion that learned Court (trial court)  below was not justified in issuing a warrant of arrest to the petitioner” said the High Court. Former Law Minister and BJP MP P P Chaudhary represented Jyotsna Suri.

It is still a mystery as to why CBI under Narendra Modi registered a First Information Report (FIR) on a Vajpayee Government’s Cabinet decision?

“This Court (High Court) is constrained to observe that the Court below (trial court) has not recorded any reason worth the name for resorting to the extreme mode of securing the presence of the accused of issuing arrest warrant… Further, while issuing the arrest warrant, Court below (trial court) has not recorded any findings as to why the petitioner’s custodial interrogation is required, particularly when all the relevant documents are on record of the Court below and the transaction dates back to the year 2001 when she was not at the helm of affairs of the Company,” said the High Court expressing displeasure of the controversial order of the trial judge of Jodhpur.

The High Court also wondered how the trial judge handling the Prevention of Corruption cases, ordered for the seizure of the Hotel, cancelling the Order.

PGurus has reported in detail as to how this case happened and the CBI surprisingly filed FIR on August 13, 2014. It is still a mystery as to why CBI under Narendra Modi registered a First Information Report (FIR) on a Vajpayee Government’s Cabinet decision? Many believe this dubious CBI case was the outcome of the tussle between Modi and Arun Shourie. The detailed article on the origin of this matter can be read here[1].

References:

[1] Why did Narendra Modi allow CBI to register a case against Arun Shourie for the hotel disinvestment approved by ABV’s cabinet? Sep 19, 2020, PGurus.com