Friday, April 1 2005 17:41 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: A Delhi court today (April 1, 2005) discharged Union Tourism Minister Renuka Choudhary in a 1993 assault case, wherein she allegedly abused and beat up a policeman who stopped her car, as the Prime Minister was to pass by on that route.

"Metropolitan Magistrate Siddharth Sharma has committed illegality by taking cognisance of the case without condoning the delay....

"Accordingly, his order of February 9, 2005 wherein he directed framing of charges against Choudhary set aside with the observation that chargesheet was filed after period of limitation, cognisance of which could not have been taken in absence of delay explained by prosecution or condonation of delay by a concerned court," Additional Sessions Judge D S Paweriya said.