A court here has discharged social activist Anna Hazare in a case of alleged misappropriation of funds belonging to the Hind Swaraj Trust, headed by him.
Chief Judicial Magistrate N T Ghadge issued the order yesterday, discharging Hazare after the complainant Hemant Patil withdrew the case, said Harshad Nimbalkar and Milind Pawar, both lawyers, who represented the Gandhian.
Patil cited Hazare's age, ailments and also "enhanced status in the society" as reasons for withdrawing the case filed in 2005.
Patil alleged that Hazare had misappropriated a sum of Rs 2.2 lakh from the funds of the Trust to celebrate his 61st birthday in his native village Ralegan-Siddhi.
Hazare had denied the charge saying he did not believe in celebrating birthdays and all the Trust money had been accounted for.
