Jaipur: A special Central Bureau of Investigation court of Jodhpur in Rajasthan on Wednesday ordered the criminal case to be filed against former Union Minister Arun Shourie, former Secretary Pradeep Baijal and three other persons. The case has been filed in connection with alleged corruption in the government-run hotel sale in 2002.

Special Central Bureau of Investigation Special Justice Puran Kumar Sharma also ordered that the Laxmi Vilas Palace Hotel in Udaipur be handed over to the state government. The hotel was previously operated by Tourism Development Corporation of India. In 2002, it was sold to Bharat Hotels Limited, now owned by the Lalit Group of Hotels.

The judge gave this order while hearing the CBI closure report in the case of an alleged loss of Rs 244 crore to the government from the sale of the hotel. The CBI report states that no evidence was obtained to initiate prosecution against the accused in the disinvestment process. But the court criticized the Investigation Agency for presenting a closure report in the case. Justice Sharma said, "It seems that the present Minister Arun Shourie and the current Secretary Pradeep Baijal misused their powers, position and caused a loss of Rs 244 crore to the Central Government". The matter is now being investigated.

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