New Delhi: Suhail Hindustani, a key accused
in 2008 cash-for-vote scam, Friday claimed innocence and said he had contacted Sudheendra Kulkarni, a former aide of BJP leader L K Advani, to expose "horse trading" and save the
country from corruption.
Seeking bail, the jailed accused told Special Judge
Sangita Dhingra Sehgal that co-accused Kulkarni, then a BJP
leader, had an impression that party MPs could also be
contacted for saving the then government.
"There was a no-confidence motion in 2008. The ruling
party was not in majority at that time. Horse trading was
going on and to unearth the corruption, Hindustani contacted
Kulkarni and told him -- sir, look horse trading is going on and please do something to save the country from corruption," Anand, the counsel for Hindustani, said.
Hidustani, arrested on July 20, said it was Kulkarni and
three BJP MPs, Ashok Argal, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahabir
Singh Bhagora who had contacted a private news channel to
expose the corruption.
The defence lawyer accused Delhi police of "hasty and
casual" investigation into the case.
He said police were suppressing facts from the court as
its probe into the case was in a "wrong" direction.
"I had appeared voluntarily before the police. I should
have been made a witness in this case as I have always helped
the police in finding out the truth so that real culprits
could be nailed. But police are implicating my client
(Hindustani) and they are suppressing facts from the court,"
he said.
He said the probe agency has not found out the roles of
the person who had accompanied co-accused Sanjeev Saxena while
delivering the bribe to the three BJP MPs.
PTI
