New Delhi, Jul 19: Delhi Police is set to expand its probe into the 2008 ‘cash-for-vote' scam and could possibly question Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh whose “aide” Sanjeev Saxena was arrested in connection with the case. The investigators have sent a letter to the Union Home Ministry in which they are understood to have sought its views and directions to question Singh and another MP. “We have sent a letter to the Home Ministry,” a senior police official said.
Under the law, a permission is required from Rajya Sabha Chairman or Lok Sabha Speaker if the parliamentarians are to be questioned.Saxena, who is said to be close to Singh and allegedly carried the cash to the house of 3 BJP MPs to ensure that they vote in favour of UPA government in the 2008 trust vote, was arrested yesterday.
Police is also looking for a driver, Sanjay, who ferried Saxena to the houses of the MPs and a mobile phone used by him to make calls while delivering the cash.
Allegations were levelled by then BJP MPs Ashok Argal, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora that Saxena had delivered Rs one crore in cash to them at the 4 Ferozshah Road residence of Ashok Argal to vote in favour of government. The crime branch submitted two out of three BJP MPs—Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora—have stated that on July 22, 2008, Saxena delivered money to them and third MP Ashok Argal at the latter's residence here. Kulaste has alleged Saxena was introduced to him and Argal by Amar Singh as his secretary on July 22, 2008, according to the prosecution.
The case was registered in 2009 on the recommendation of the Parliamentary Committee.Saxena has been booked for various offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, police said Saxena, once considered close to Amar Singh, holds the key to unravel the 2008 ‘cash-for-vote scam', Delhi Police said as it prepares itself to launch a search for a driver and a mobile phone used by him at the time of delivery of cash.
Investigators, who consider Saxena as the “key player” in the whole scam as he carried money to the three BJP MPs to be bought over for voting in favour of UPA government during the trust vote on July 22, 2008, is preparing to question more people in the scam and if needed, more arrests. Saxena was arrested on Sunday, two days after the apex court came down heavily on Delhi Police for its “callous approach” in probing the scam and asking why it has not taken action so far against those involved in the case. Police expressed the hope that his questioning will lead to unravelling of the events which led to the scam and who were behind the whole drama.
“Our immediate priority is to locate the mobile phone used by him at the time of delivery of the money as it was allegedly used in conversations among BJP MPs and Amar Singh,” a senior police official said.
The official said police have crosschecked statements of the MPs and it stood corroborated with the video footage of a sting operation carried out by a TV channel. The official claimed police had collected enough evidence against Saxena. “He is giving contradictory statements but we will crack him,” he said. The official said the investigators may question Amar Singh, Sudheendra Kulkarni and a few others in the coming days.
Allegations were levelled by then BJP MPs Ashok Argal, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora that Saxena had delivered Rs one crore in cash to them at the 4 Ferozshah Road residence of Ashok Argal to vote in favour of government. The crime branch submitted two out of three BJP MPs—Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora—have stated that on July 22, 2008, Saxena delivered money to them and third MP Ashok Argal at the latter's residence here. Kulaste has alleged Saxena was introduced to him and Argal by Amar Singh as his secretary on July 22, 2008, according to the prosecution.
The case was registered in 2009 on the recommendation of the Parliamentary Committee.Saxena has been booked for various offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, police said. Saxena was on Monday allowed by a Delhi court to be quizzed for three days in police custody to unravel the 2008 cash-for-vote scam.
Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal remanded Saxena to police custody till July 21 allowing the plea of the crime branch of Delhi Police that his custodial interrogation was necessary to reach the “bottom of truth” as he was the “ultimate person” who delivered the bribe to BJP MPs. “It is a deep-rooted conspiracy hatched between Saxena and others to influence the voting of three BJP MPs during the voting on confidence motion.
To unearth this deep-rooted conspiracy, a sustained custodial interrogation (of Saxena) is required because he was the ultimate person who delivered the money to the MPs,” the prosecutor said.
The prosecutor also submitted that police have to interrogate the accused to know the whereabouts of Sanjay, the then driver of Amar Singh, as he was with Saxena at the time of delivery of the money to the lawmakers.
Seeking Saxena's custody, police said they have to recover a mobile phone used by him at the time of delivery of the money as it was allegedly used in conversations among BJP MPs and Amar Singh who was later suspended from Samajwadi Party.
The crime branch submitted two out of three BJP MPs—Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora—have stated that on July 22, 2008, Saxena delivered money to them and third MP Ashok Argal at the latter's residence here. Kulaste has alleged Saxena was introduced to him and Argal by Amar Singh as his secretary on July 22, 2008, according to the prosecution.
Police said the statements of the MPs stood corroborated with the recorded videos of a news channel as these DVDs have been examined. The CFSL reports suggest that the DVDs have not been tampered with.
Saxena has not been cooperating in the probe, they said.“Although sufficient evidence has come on record that Saxena had delivered the money on July 22, 2008, to three BJP MPs, so far, during his interrogations, he has been giving contradictory and misleading statements.”“Earlier, during an inquiry by a Parliamentary Committee, he had given misleading statements,” police said. PTI
