The Supreme Court has stayed proceedings against former Railway Minister C K Jaffer Sharief in a 1995 corruption case .A bench headed by Justice P Sathasivam also issued notice to CBI on Sharief's appeal and sought reply within two weeks.The apex court passed the order after senior counsel P P Rao submitted that the 80-year-old Congress leader was innocent and CBI was trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill.
Responding to queries from the bench, Rao submitted that Sharief as the Railway Minister at that time was entitled to take personal staff during his foreign trip.
Sharief had approached the apex court against an April 11 order of the Delhi High Court, dismissing his plea challenging a trial court's decision to reject a CBI closure report in the
corruption case against him and prosecute him instead. He is accused of dishonestly ensuring journey of his erstwhile Additional Private Secretary, stenos and driver to London with him in 1995 when Sharief, as a Union Minister, had gone to London for his treatment causing a loss of seven lakh rupees to the state exchequer.A special CBI court had on Tuesday framed charges against the former minister.he special court has fixed August 21 for commencing the trial of Sharief, who has been charged with various offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.On May 10, the apex court had refused to stay the framing of charges against Sharief.