Cash-for-vote scam: Amar Singh, 5 others summoned

Former Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani's former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni and two former BJP MPs were on Thursday issued summons by a Delhi court to stand trial for their alleged role in the 2008 cash-for-vote scam.

Besides asking the four to be present in the court on September 6, Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal also issued production warrant against Amar Singh's former aide Sanjeev Saxena and alleged BJP activist Suhail Hindustani who were arrested earlier and are presently lodged in Tihar jail.

The court sought the presence of the six accused including the two former BJP MPs Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahabir Singh Bhagora before it, taking cognisance of the Delhi police charge sheet, filed in the case on Wednesday before it.

Delhi Police, in its charge sheet, had indicted all six for their roles in the scam, involving payment of bribes to some MPs to win their votes in a trust motion, piloted by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government.

While issuing summons to Amar Singh, Kulkarni, Kulaste and Bhagora, the judge also asked police as to why they were not arrested earlier along with the two other accused. "Is there any special reason for not arresting them," the judge asked.

Public Prosecutor Rajeev Mohan, appearing for the Crime Branch of Delhi police, told the court that the four were not arrested as their custodial interrogation was not required.

Mohan, however, requested the judge to take cognisance and issue summons against all the six accused.

The Crime Branch had on Wednesday filed its 80-page chargesheet in which it did not the name the sitting BJP MP Ashok Argal, who was sought to be bribed to vote in favour of the government, defying his party line.