C. K. Jaffer Sharief
6 July 2012. The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed, for two weeks, criminal proceedings against the former Railway Minister, C. K. Jaffer Sharief, in a 1995 corruption case. The court issued the notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Mr. Sharief’s appeal against the Delhi High Court’s order rejecting his discharge plea. Senior counsel for Sharief , P.P. Rao, said earlier that CBI was making a mountain out of a molehill in prosecuting the 80-year-old Congress leader. Mr. Rao said it was an official visit and Mr. Sharief as Railway Minister, was entitled to take personal staff during his foreign trip. Further, no sanction was accorded for his prosecution. The Bench then said it would examine the matter. Sharief was charged for taking his personal staff when he went on a trip to London for medical treatment. The expenses were charged to the government. Mr Rao said that in London, Rao was also discharging his executive functions as he was a public servant at that time.
