CBI Files Charge Sheet In Rs 250-Cr Pulses Scam

The CBI has filed a charge sheet in the infamous Rs 250-crore pulses scam involving the export of 60,000 metric tonnes of pulses despite a government ban in 2006-07 — nearly 17 years after a case was first registered in the matter —, officials said.
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The agency's investigation remained stalled during the period, with letters rogatory sent to three countries failing to elicit timely responses.
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A letter rogatory – a judicial request sent by a court to a foreign country seeking its assistance in sharing information in a case – to New Zealand is still pending.
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In its charge sheet filed recently before a special court, the Central Bureau of Investigation named Jet King, its owner Shyam Sunder Jain, Naresh Kumar Jain, and one Prashant Sethi.
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It is alleged that Jet King circumvented the government ban on pulse export in collusion with some UAE-based companies by manipulating a backdated Letter of Credit issued by a Cook Islands bank.
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The CBI has invoked IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy, cheating, and forgery against the accused, in addition to provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
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In 2007, opposition leaders pointed out that pulses were being exported based on backdated documents, undermining the then-UPA government's attempts to control the spiraling prices of pulses in the country.