New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has
given sanction to Delhi Police to prosecute BJP MP Ashok Argal
in the cash-for-vote scam in which four other partymen are
already in jail facing charges of criminal conspiracy and for
offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Parliament sources said Kumar`s nod came after Delhi
Police approached her seeking sanction for prosecuting the BJP
MP from Bhind in Madhya Pradesh for his alleged role in the
scam during the trust vote in July 2008.
Former BJP MPs Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora,
senior leader L K Advani`s former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni and
a BJP worker and middleman Suhail Hindustani have already been
arrested in the case.
Besides the BJP functionaries, Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh
and his former aide Sanjeev Saxena were also arrested in this
case.
Allegations were levelled by then BJP MPs Argal,
Kulaste and Bhagora that Saxena had delivered Rs one crore in
cash at the behest of Amar Singh to them at the 4 Ferozshah
Road residence of Argal to vote in favour of government.
According to the crime branch, the three BJP MPs --
Argal, Kulaste and Bhagora -- have stated that on July 22,
2008, Saxena delivered money to them at Argal`s residence.
Kulaste has alleged that Saxena was introduced to him and
Argal by Amar Singh as his secretary on July 22, 2008. The
case was registered in 2009 on the recommendation of the
Parliamentary Committee.
The sanction came on a day when BJP chief Nitin Gadkari
questioned the arrest of two former BJP MPs and Kulkarni in
the scam saying everyone knows who are beneficiaries of the
scam.
Two days back, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi had
stated that the scam was a matter between the BJP and Amar
Singh.
PTI
