New Delhi, Jul 20: Delhi Police today made the second arrest in the 2008 ‘cash-for-votes' scam by taking into custody Suhail Hindustani, who had allegedly acted as a liaison between Amar Singh and BJP MPs sought to be bribed.
Hindustani was arrested after seven hours of questioning by the Crime Branch and charges under Prevention of Corruption Act were pressed against him, police sources said.
Police summoned Hindustani for questioning after it arrested Sanjeev Saxena, once considered close to Singh, for allegedly delivering cash to three BJP MPs.
Before appearing for questioning, Hindustani sought to drag Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi in the cash-for-vote scam by saying he had got calls from people close to them (rpt) by saying he got calls from people close to them.
“I received calls from Amar Singh and Ahmed Patel (Political Secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi). Those close to Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) called me and even from 10-Janpath (Gandhi's residence),” claimed Hindustani to reporters before being questioned.
He, however, did not not identify all those who allegedly called him.
Moving ahead with the probe after the Supreme Court slammed it last week, Police is expected to question Amar Singh, former Samajwadi Party leader. Delhi Police had sought views of Union Home Ministry on questioning Singh.
Rajya Sabha Secretariat said there was no need for its permission to question Singh, a member of the Upper House.
“No permission for interrogation of Amar Singh has been sought from the Chairman of Rajya Sabha (Hamid Ansari). So the question of giving permission does not arise,” Rajya Sabha Secretary General V K Agnihotri told PTI.
BJP MP Ashok Argal, who is alleged to have been offered Rs one crore bribe, and BJP leader L K Advani's former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni who had allegedly organised the sting operation, may also be questioned, police sources said.
Before entering the police complex, Hindustani said he would tell police whatever he had told the Parliamentary Committee which probed the cash-for-vote scam.
Asked what he had told the Committee, he alleged that Amar Singh told him that he was working on Prime Minister's directions along with Ahmed Patel to save the government.
“People could not believe that Manmohan Singh and Congress party could stoop to this level to save the government,” he said, alleging that the operation was done by Amar Singh and some Congress leaders.
He said police should examine his call records, which he claimed would throw light on who all who called him between July nine and 22 of 2008.
“I challenge them. These people tried to bribe me. They asked me why are you aligned with BJP? Is your life going haywire? Come, align with us and we will give you some big posts like Chairmanship. They told me that if you get one MP, we will give you Rs 5-10 crore as commission,” he claimed. PTI
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