NEW DELHI – The Delhi police have chargesheeted former Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh along with two ex-BJP MPs, and L K Advani’s former close aide Sudheendra Kulkarni in the 2008 cash-for-vote scam. The police in its chargesheet allege sufficient evidence “have come on record that on morning of July 22, 2008, Amar Singh, MP” hatched a criminal conspiracy with his secretary Sanjeev Saxena to deliver cash of R1 crore as illegal gratification ahead of a confidence vote against the UPA government.
It alleged that Amar Singh “conspired” with Saxena and others to bribe the MPs, and Kulkarni played an “active role” during the confidence motion. Amar Singh was charged under section 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act read with section 120 B (conspiracy) of IPC.
The 80-page chargesheet was filed before special judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal. It will come up for cognisance on Thursday.
The Delhi police counsel told the court that the name of sitting BJP MP Ashok Argal, who was to be bribed to disobey the party line, was not mentioned in the chargesheet. Police said it would file a supplementary chargesheet after taking the requisite sanction from Lok Sabha speaker to prosecute him.
Two former BJP MPs named in the charge sheet are Phagan Singh Kuleste and Mahaveer Singh Bhagoda. The police have dubbed Kulkarni “mastermind” of the scam, as he allegedly remained in touch with all conspirators, and was present when the “illegal gratification” was paid to the MPs.
Sanjeev Saxena, former aide of Amar Singh and Suhail Hindustani, an alleged BJP activist in judicial custody, have also been chargesheeted in the case.
The chargesheet said, “Saxena… delivered Rs 1 crore cash at 4, Ferozeshah Road …to three BJP MPs — Argal, Kuleste and Bhagoda as advance, out of a total deal of Rs 9 crore as Rs 3 crore (was to be paid) to each MP to abstain from voting during the motion of confidence.”
