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Delhi Police on Friday told a city court that senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley might be examined as a prosecution witness in the 2008 cash-for-vote scam case to ascertain whether the BJP was aware that three of its MPs were approached to influence voting in the 2008 trust vote.
“We have examined Arun Jaitley and there is a note in the police case diary about it. We have given his statement in the charge sheet. When the trial begins, we might need to call Arun Jaitley in the witness box, if needed,” Public prosecutor, Rajiv Mohan told Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal.
Opposing the bail pleas of former BJP ideologue Sudheendra Kulkarni and two former BJP MPs Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahabir Singh Bhagora, Mohan said their alleged failure to inform senior party office bearers immediately after receiving `1 crore money raises doubts about the sting operation.
He said that the trio — Kulaste, Bhagora and Ashok Argal — received `1 crore at 11 am on July 22, 2008 but they did not inform any law enforcing agency and waited till 4 pm as they were expecting the remaining `8 crore to be delivered to them. “They (BJP MPs) had not informed Jaitley that they would meet Amar Singh at his house at 8 am on July 22, 2008. They could have informed the party leaders about it. The deal was finalised at `9 crore (at Amar Singh’s house). They (MPs) did not inform anybody about the Rs one crore that they had received at 11 am. They waited for the remaining `8 crore till 4 pm and after that waved the money (`1 crore) in the Lok Sabha,” the prosecutor said.
The defence counsels maintained that the BJP MPs were innocent and were only projected as ‘vulnerable’ for the purpose of completing the sting operation. Advocate Mahipal Singh, appearing for Kulkarni, said that there was no evidence to show that they were waiting for the remaining `8 crore till 4 pm. He reiterated his claim that senior party leaders of BJP, including Arun Jaitley, were aware of the whole episode. During the day-long hearing, BJP general secretary Vijay Goel came to meet Kulkarni in the court room.
Meanwhile, the court also expressed disapproval over the lack of a ‘proper’ sanction order for prosecution of BJP MP Ashok Argal who was chargesheeted by Delhi Police in its second supplementary chargesheet. The court therefore posted the matter for ‘consideration on the charge sheet’ on October 14. While expressing dissatisfaction, the judge said, “This is just a letter (from the Secretary General Lok Sabha). You (prosecutor) may call it a communication or something else. What has to be before me should be a proper sanction order like in other cases. I am not satisfied with this kind of sanction letter.”
To the court’s query, the prosecution said the sanction order was communicated through a letter sent by the Lok Sabha Secretary General. Public Prosecutor Rajiv Mohan said that the Speaker of the Lok Sabha was the competent authority to grant the sanction to prosecute the MP under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
“We have examined Arun Jaitley and there is a note in the police case diary about it. We have given his statement in the charge sheet. When the trial begins, we might need to call Arun Jaitley in the witness box, if needed,” Public prosecutor, Rajiv Mohan told Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal.
Opposing the bail pleas of former BJP ideologue Sudheendra Kulkarni and two former BJP MPs Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahabir Singh Bhagora, Mohan said their alleged failure to inform senior party office bearers immediately after receiving `1 crore money raises doubts about the sting operation.
He said that the trio — Kulaste, Bhagora and Ashok Argal — received `1 crore at 11 am on July 22, 2008 but they did not inform any law enforcing agency and waited till 4 pm as they were expecting the remaining `8 crore to be delivered to them. “They (BJP MPs) had not informed Jaitley that they would meet Amar Singh at his house at 8 am on July 22, 2008. They could have informed the party leaders about it. The deal was finalised at `9 crore (at Amar Singh’s house). They (MPs) did not inform anybody about the Rs one crore that they had received at 11 am. They waited for the remaining `8 crore till 4 pm and after that waved the money (`1 crore) in the Lok Sabha,” the prosecutor said.
The defence counsels maintained that the BJP MPs were innocent and were only projected as ‘vulnerable’ for the purpose of completing the sting operation. Advocate Mahipal Singh, appearing for Kulkarni, said that there was no evidence to show that they were waiting for the remaining `8 crore till 4 pm. He reiterated his claim that senior party leaders of BJP, including Arun Jaitley, were aware of the whole episode. During the day-long hearing, BJP general secretary Vijay Goel came to meet Kulkarni in the court room.
Meanwhile, the court also expressed disapproval over the lack of a ‘proper’ sanction order for prosecution of BJP MP Ashok Argal who was chargesheeted by Delhi Police in its second supplementary chargesheet. The court therefore posted the matter for ‘consideration on the charge sheet’ on October 14. While expressing dissatisfaction, the judge said, “This is just a letter (from the Secretary General Lok Sabha). You (prosecutor) may call it a communication or something else. What has to be before me should be a proper sanction order like in other cases. I am not satisfied with this kind of sanction letter.”
To the court’s query, the prosecution said the sanction order was communicated through a letter sent by the Lok Sabha Secretary General. Public Prosecutor Rajiv Mohan said that the Speaker of the Lok Sabha was the competent authority to grant the sanction to prosecute the MP under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
