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"He has gone into coma, he cannot be moved from hospital," his counsel told Special CBI Judge Dharmesh Sharma.
Sukh Ram, 86, was directed by the Supreme Court to surrender before the trial court yesterday but he avoided the same citing medical reasons.
His counsel had submitted that Sukh Ram was hospitalised after undergoing computerised tomography (CT) angiography.
Special Judge Sharma deferred the matter for tomorrow as concerned Special CBI Judge Sanjiv Jain was on leave today.
"As the applicant/convict has gone into coma and judge in-charge is on leave and is joining his duty tomorrow let the matter be put up for consideration before him tomorrow at 10 am," Special Judge Sharma said.
The two other convicts – former bureaucrat Runu Ghosh and Hyderabad-based businessman P Rama Rao – had surrendered before the trial court yesterday and were sent to jail to serve their sentence of two and three years respectively.
While upholding their conviction, the high court had directed all the three convicts to surrender before the trial
court on January 5 to undergo their jail terms.
The three convicts had approached the apex court to grant them relief so that they would not have to surrender.
The apex court, however, refused to entertain their plea, saying that their appeal against the Delhi High Court would be listed for hearing only after they surrender before the trial court.
Sukh Ram's counsel had approached the court yesterday with a plea that he be taken into judicial custody at the hospital itself. The court, however, had said the the plea would be heard by the concerned special judge today.
The high court had on December 21 last year upheld the lower court's 2002 judgement holding Sukh Ram and two others guilty of being part of a criminal conspiracy to defraud the state exchequer by awarding a Telecom equipment supply contract to Hyderabad's Advanced Radio Masts (ARM) which had supplied inferior goods at a higher rate to the DoT.
While Sukh Ram and ARM's Managing Director Rama Rao had been sentenced to three years in jail each, former Department of Telecom (DoT) Deputy Director General Runu Ghosh had been sentenced to two years imprisonment for her role in the 1993 telecom scam case.
Besides the jail term, the convicts were also asked to pay a fine of Rs 2 lakh each.
Sukh Ram, telecom minister between January 18, 1993 and May 16, 1996, in the Narasimha Rao government, had conspired with Ghosh and Rama Rao and approved the ARM Ltd's bid despite its rates being higher than other bidders.
Subsequent to the registration of various cases, the CBI, in 1996, had allegedly seized Rs 3.6 crore cash, concealed in bags and suitcases, from Sukh Ram's residence here.
Sukh Ram not in coma, says hospital
Former Union Minister Sukh Ram, convicted in a 1993 telecom scam and ordered to surrender, is not in a state of coma, doctors attending on him said, contradicting his counsel's submission in a court here that he cannot move from hospital as he is in a coma.
“It may be clarified that Shri Sukhramji was never in coma while in hospital,” Dr Wasi U Khan, Medical Superintendent, Metro Heart Institute, Lajpat Nagar, where Sukh Ram is admitted, said in a statement.
“His condition is generally stable other than mild drowsiness because of low sodium,” Dr Sandeep Chatrath Group Chief, Metro Group of Hospitals, said.
The former minister's counsel told a Delhi court today that Sukh Ram “has gone into coma, he cannot move from hospital”.
Sukh Ram, was directed by the Supreme Court to surrender before the trial court yesterday but he expressed inability to do so citing medical reasons.
The former telecom minister was admitted to the Metro Heart Institute on December 31, 2011, after he complained of severe chest pain.
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there is no court in india which can punish high and mighty. sukhram is the master of all . remember when he was brought back from uk he had a heart attach and was brought back sleeping in air india plane.
Chief Justice of India should take full responsibility for not directing and setting the courts in proper order. Why rely on the governments which are very corrupt and out to derail the justice system. We expect atleast the Kalmadi, Narendra Modi, Raja, Yeddy cases to be heard and very strict punishment awarded within one year. Meanwhile seize all their assets.
The doctors will wake him up soon.Otherwise who will pay for the fat bills for the ventilator. Poor guy,no Govt.to reimburse his expenses.
WHAT IS THE FUN OF POOLING SO MUCH ILL GOTTEN WEALTH LIKE SUKH RAM AND OTHER CORRUPT PEOPLE DO. THIS IS A CASE OF DYING BEFORE DEATH. O GOD,ALLAH,WAHEGURU PLEASE GRANT THESE PEOPLE THE WISDOM.
One is familiar with complaint of chest pain followed by hospitalization whenever law catches with our politicians. Sukh Ram has gone a step further by going into a state of coma. What is now left for our corrupt politicians is to fake death when they are sentenced by courts! That day is not far off!
I think Coma will be the official disease for all corrupt ministers in India. When can we see kalmadi etc in coma :)
i wish we had hundred no thousand more corrupt persons like sukh ram who has shared lot of sukh so for telephones are concerned . He did not stack money in swiss bank to get minor or now major surgey done outside INDIA . gOD GIVE HIM SPEEDY CURE AND JUTICE TO kALMADI TOO .I am sure with honest means and so many obstructions the job of holding games in India would have never been done and wish of Mani Shankar Ayer would have been fullfilled
These corrupt politicians are making a mockery of the justice and the courts. With their connections and the corruption at every level, this man dodged the justice for 10 years. I think now is the time to send a signal that this will not work any more. No sympathy for such criminals!
SO MUCH DELAY ...THATS WHY JUDICIARY HAVE LOST CREDIBILITY