Former PM Rao sentenced to 3 years in jail

Former PM Rao sentenced to 3 years in jail

NEW DELHI (Agencies): A special Indian court sentenced former prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and a cabinet colleague to three years in jail on Thursday after they were convicted last month in a vote-buying case.

"I hereby sentence the accused P.V. Narasimha Rao and Buta Singh to rigorous imprisonment up to three years and a fine of 100,000 rupees ($2,150)," special court judge Ajit Barihoke said in his order at the high security courtroom.

But Barihoke granted bail to Rao and Buta Singh till Nov. 8 allowing them to appeal against the order.

They were released on 200,000 rupees bail until Nov. 8, giving them a chance to appeal.

The judge also ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation, the equivalent of the FBI in the United States, to file bribe- taking charges against the four lawmakers who received the 16.8 million rupees in bribe money. One of them had helped the prosecution and was the main witness in the case.

The Supreme Court had earlier ruled that the four had parliamentary immunity from prosecution. But Bharihoke said the men's bribe taking occurred outside Parliament.

Rao came out of the courtroom surrounded by lawyers and armed commandos who protect him because of his former high office. A special guest house in South Delhi was being prepared for his imprisonment, the Press Trust of India reported, because it is believed he would be in danger if he was sent to a regular prison.

The "rigorous imprisonment" that the judge imposed usually means fewer privileges and a substandard class of prison.

Rao would have to surrender on Nov. 8 if he did not get bail from a higher court, a lawyer said. "If he gets bail, then this sentence will be suspended," he said.

Rao, who started India's free-market reform program, is the first Indian prime minister or former prime minister to ever face criminal charges. Former prime minister Indira Gandhi was summoned to court in 1975 to face civil charges in a case of election irregularities, but was never punished.

Rao sat patiently as Barihoke delivered the judgment in the courtroom packed with media and security personnel. Buta Singh was accompanied by supporters and family members. Later, the former prime minister's supporters started trickling into his sprawling bungalow in the heart of New Delhi.

"We are going to appeal against the conviction and sentence in the High Court. I argued for a minimum sentence and the judge thought it fit to give a three-year sentence," Rao's defense counsel R.K. Anand said.

He said Rao was calm when he heard the sentence.

"We are confident we will succeed in the appeal in the High Court," he added.

The vote-buying case involved allegations that in 1993 Rao tried to influence a parliamentary vote of no-confidence by bribing four lawmakers of a regional group. Rao's minority government defeated the no-confidence motion by a narrow margin.

Rao, now 79, quit in disgrace as head of the Congress Party after the party suffered a humiliating defeat in general elections in 1996.

In 1997, a special court of inquiry indicted Rao and 19 others on charges of abetting bribery after lawmakers of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) party alleged they were paid $100,000 to vote against the no-confidence motion.

Earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation had filed a case accusing Rao and other Congress leaders of buying the vote. They had denied any wrongdoing.

Thursday's sentence is the latest blow for Rao who led India for five years from 1991 and oversaw major cuts in trade and investment barriers before suffering a crushing defeat in general elections in 1996.