In another case, a CBI court here had sentenced him on November 19 to five years of imprisonment for taking a bribe of Rs 3 lakh while awarding a Rs 30-crore contract to a private company in 1996.

He was immediately arrested and lodged in Tihar Jail here, but he managed to get bail from the HC 10 days later - on November 28. The HC granted him bail, citing his health problems and old age.

In the 120-page judgment today, the HC also upheld the conviction and sentence awarded by the trial court to Runu Ghosh, who was Director (Finance), and Rama Rao, owner of a telecom company, ARM, which had won the contract for the MARR systems. Ghosh had been sentenced to two years by the trial court, while Rao would have to be in jail for three years.

The trial court had also convicted Sukh Ram, Ghosh and Rao for criminal conspiracy, but the HC acquitted the Himachal politician on this score for want of evidence. However, this would not affect his three-year sentence.

Sukh Ram had approved the purchase of MARR systems at a price of Rs 3.4 lakh per system, irrespective of the fact whether the system was crystal or synthesised, over-ruling the price evaluation committee that had recommended Rs 2.98 lakh for the “inferior” crystal versions.

Sukh Ram’s counsel Anil Nag had argued that the minister was not a “rubber stamp” and had the power to take a “reasoned decision,” over-ruling his officials as the telecom ministry had already purchased 500 systems before his client took over as minister in January 1993 by paying the same price for both the crystal and synthesised versions. The HC, however, did not agree with the contention.