Sudheendra Kulkarni, a former aide of BJP leader L.K. Advani and an accused in the 2008 cash-for-vote scam, on Saturday questioned the police probe in the case, asking why “persons” from UPA-I, who were the alleged beneficiaries, have not been investigated by it.
While pleading for bail before a Delhi Court, Mr. Kulkarni, who was arrested on September 27, contended that the police have not probed any of the actual accused and the beneficiaries in the case.
“Who is the actual beneficiary? The police has no answer. The actual beneficiary was the then (UPA-I) government. None of the persons from the then government has even investigated or interrogated by the police,” Mr. Kulkarni’s lawyer told Special Judge Sangeeta Dhingra Sehgal.
“Who is the main beneficiary? This is a million dollar question for them (prosecution). It was not Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh’s government which was to be saved,” he said.
Regarding the failure of the Delhi Police in tracing the money trail, Mr. Kulkarni’s counsel said it is still an unanswered question.
“It (the money) came from the actual beneficiary and routed through Amar Singh. The source (of money) has not yet been interrogated,” he said.
Claiming innocence before the court, the defence lawyer said that there is not even an iota of evidence that Mr. Kulkarni ever solicited anything in lieu of getting money. “It was only a sting operation to expose the rampant corruption. It was to expose the horse trading going on at the time of the trust vote,” he said.
The arguments on Mr. Kulkarni’s bail plea are still continuing.
