Court issues production warrant against ex-minister PK Thungon

A Delhi court has issued production warrant against former union minister P K Thungon, who is in jail in a graft case, for his alleged role in a scam relating to allotment of government shops here during 1993-94.
Special CBI Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal issued warrant against Thungon, also a former Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, for September 14 after the court was informed that he was not present in the hearing as he was lodged at Rohini Jail here.
"Regarding accused P K Thungan, it is stated that he is in judicial custody and at present he is lodged at Rohini Jail in another corruption case. Issue production warrant against accused P K Thungan for the next date of hearing," the court said.

The court fixed the matter on September 14 for recording of statement of accused persons under section 313 of the CrPC as prosecution evidence in the case is complete.
Thungon was awarded a four-and-a-half year jail term in a 1998 graft case relating to misappropriation of central funds in July this year.
Thungon, who was Minister of State for Urban Affairs and Employment at the time of alleged offence, has been facing trial in this case along with then Urban Affairs and Employment Minister Sheila Kaul, three private persons Lhakpa Tsering, Krishna and Tulsi Balodi.

Meanwhile, the court also received death verification report of Sheila Kaul that she has died on June 13 this year, following which it abated proceedings against her.

Accused Balodi had also died earlier and proceedings were abated.
A case was registered by the CBI in 1996 against Kaul, Thungon, his nephew Tsering, Krishna and Balodi for allegedly hatching a conspiracy in allotting shops and stalls in 1994.
According to CBI, the five accused allegedly conspired during September 1993 to June 1994 with the object of dishonestly and fraudulently obtaining undue benefit in the allotment of shops on economical licence fee basis in contravention of rules governing such allotments.