Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has given sanction to Delhi Police to prosecute Bharatiya Janata Party 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 Ms. 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 Mr. Argal, Mr. Kulaste and Mr. Bhagora that Mr. Saxena had delivered Rs. 1 crore in cash at the behest of Mr. Amar Singh to them at the 4, Ferozshah Road residence of Mr. Argal to vote in favour of government.
According to the crime branch, the three BJP MPs — Mr. Argal, Mr. Kulaste and Mr. Bhagora — have stated that on July 22, 2008, Mr. Saxena delivered money to them at Mr. Argal’s residence.
Mr. Kulaste has alleged that Mr. Saxena was introduced to him and Mr. Argal by Mr. 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 Mr. Kulkarni in the scam saying everyone knows who beneficiaries of the scam were.
Two days back, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi had stated that the scam was a matter between the BJP and Mr. Amar Singh.
