New Delhi: Suhail Hindustani, arrested for
his alleged involvement in the 2008 cash-for-vote scam, on Tuesday
sought bail from a Delhi court claiming he was merely trying
to expose the "horse trading" going on before the voting on
Congress-led UPA-I government`s trust motion.
Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal reserved the order
on Hindustani`s bail plea for September 29 after hearing the
arguments on it both by the prosecution and the defence.
Advocate Anand, appearing for Hindustani, submitted his
client was determined to expose the "horse trading", which was
going on in the run up to the confidence motion in July 2008,
to save the country from corruption.
Hindustani, who was arrested on July 20, said it was
co-accused and senior BJP leader L K Advani`s former close
aide Sudheendra Kulkarni and the three BJP MPs Ashok Argal,
Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahabir Singh Bhagora who contacted a
private news channel to expose the corruption.
He said the prosecution`s allegation that Hindustani was
carrying a list of MPs to be bribed was totally baseless as
there is no evidence on record to prove it.
"The knowledge was that I have to help these three MPs
and the private media channel to expose horse-trading. It
cannot be alleged that I had the knowledge of money being
given for bribe," he said.
He said the chargesheet has been filed after completion
of the probe in the case and there is no possibility that his
client could tamper with evidence, influence witnesses or
abscond, if released on bail.
Public prosecutor Rajiv Mohan, however, vehemently
opposed his bail plea saying Hindustani was the initiator of
the whole conspiracy and was having a list of MPs who could
have been approached for their votes.
"He had a list of vulnerable MPs. Before this, there was
no question of a sting operation when Hindustani first had the
list of BJP MPs. The case initiation happened with him. He is
a gem seller and had no involvement in politics. How can
someone like him try to influence the voting in a democracy?"
the prosecutor said.
The court had yesterday extended the interim bail of
Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh, an accused in the case, till
September 27.
The hearing on regular bail plea of Amar Singh would be
resumed on September 27. Besides, the bail plea of jailed
Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahabir Singh Bhagora too would be
heard on September 29.
PTI
