After Brazilian’s plea, court sends notices to CBI, Centre

Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the CBI and the Ministry of External Affairs in relation to repatriation of Brazilian A.E. Pinto on personal bond.

Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the CBI and the Ministry of External Affairs in relation to repatriation of Brazilian A.E. Pinto on personal bond.

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An accused in the 1997 urea scam, in which National Fertilizers Ltd was defrauded of Rs 133 crore, the London-based Brazilian businessman had filed a petition.

Justice Mool Chand Garg has directed the CBI and the external affairs ministry to file their replies by July 2.

After his arrest from London on charges of conspiracy to defraud in 1997, the CBI got him extradited to India in 2000.

Spending a lonely life at a Lajpat Nagar house after his bail in 2001, Pinto (63) suffered his second paralytic stroke on April 28.

His trial has dragged on for 12 years.

The left side of his body is completely paralysed. Besides immobilising him, it has also affected his speech.

Pinto’s counsel Wills Mathews said his client has, in effect, already undergone a detention of more than 11 years.

The maximum punishment a court can award him for cheating, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy — what he is charged with —is seven years.

Pinto is relying on Section 436 A of the Criminal Procedure Code which says if an accused undergoes detention for more than one-half of the period of imprisonment for the offence he is charged under, the court shall release him on his personal bond.