New Delhi: Former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao was today (Dec 22, 2003) acquitted by a Delhi court in the $ 100,000 Lakhubhai Pathak cheating case.

Special Judge Dinesh Dayal also acquitted godman Chandraswami and his close aide K N Agarwal alias Mamaji in the case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had charged them with conspiring at a hotel in New York to cheat late UK-based pickle tycoon Pathak of $ 100,000 by promising to procure him a contract for supply of newsprint and paper pulp in India.

"I find that Lakhubhai Pathak's evidence is not reliable and it has not been corroborated. His evidence has been constantly changing and there has been contradictions on vital aspects of the case."

"The inordinate delay in filing the case has not been explained by the prosecution," the judge said while acquitting the trio.