New Delhi: Delhi Police was on Monday directed
by a local court to file a report on a complaint of a key
prosecution witness in the 2008 cash-for-vote scam case that
Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh and others had threatened and
kidnapped him ahead of his deposition before a Parliamentary
committee.
"Station House Officer (SHO) of Tughlak Road police
station is directed to file a status report on November 21,"
Metropolitan Magistrate Sudesh Kumar said.
The court`s order came on a private complaint of Hashmat
Ali, a prosecution witness in the cash-for-vote scam.
Ali, in his complaint, has sought registration of an FIR
against Amar Singh, former Samajwadi Party leader, his
secretary Tarun and aide Ramesh under various provisions of
the IPC and the Arms Act relating to kidnapping, illegal
confinement, robbery and criminal intimidation.
Ali has alleged that on September 25, 2008, when he was
to record his testimony before the Parliamentary enquiry
Committee, constituted to probe the scam, he was kidnapped by
co-accused Tarun and Ramesh and was taken to Lodhi Estate
bungalow of Amar Singh.
"Amar Singh started abusing complainant (Ali) and
threatened to kill him and his family. Then Singh slapped
the complainant...Thereafter the complainant was locked in a
room and after three-four hours, he was handed over to the
police in the presence of media," the complaint filed through
Ali`s advocate LK Verma said.
Singh, undergoing treatment at AIIMS in judicial custody,
is an accused along with BJP leader LK Advani`s former aide
Sudheendra Kulkarni, former BJP MPs Faggan Singh Kulaste,
Mahabir Singh Bhagora and Sohail Hindustani and Sanjeev Saxena
in the cash-for-vote scam case.
Ali, alleged associate of BJP activist and co-accused
Hindustani, had allegedly driven a car, in which then BJP MPs
Ashok Argal and Faggan Singh Kulaste were sitting, to Amar
Singh`s residence on July 22, 2008.
In the private complaint, Ali alleged that first Singh
attempted to lure him to give a favourable testimony before
the Parliamentary panel.
As Ali did not relent later, he was picked up by the
accused from Khan Market here at gunpoint on the morning of
September 25 and consequently, he could not record his
statement before the panel, the complaint alleged.
The Parliamentary panel had also directed the Secretariat
to prepare draft report in the matter after Ali did not appear
before it, his lawyer said.
Citing media reports, Ali`s counsel said that it was
apparent that he had been physically prevented from appearing
before the committee in which a design of Amar Singh became
conspicuous.
The court took the complaint of Ali into records asking
police to file the report and fixed the matter for further
hearing on November 21.
Amar Singh and others have been charge sheeted by the
crime branch of Delhi Police in the main case. It has been
alleged that Singh hatched a criminal conspiracy to bribe the
then BJP MPs to influence their voting in the trust vote on
July 22, 2008.
PTI
