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