Probe MPs involved in cash-for-query scam: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday pulled up the police for not investigating the role of 11 Members of Parliament allegedly involved in the cash-for-query scam and directed it to complete the investigation within 60 days.

"The whole country had watched the sting operation but the police seem to have no eyes and no ears," Justice S N Dhingra observed while directing the police not to single out some people during the probe and leave the MPs out of it.

It is the obligation of the Delhi police to book all those people involved in the offence of taking money for raising questions in Parliament, the court said, while passing the order on a petition filed by Anirudh Bahal, Editor-in-Chief of Cobra Post, which carried out the sting operation.

As many as 11 MPs were caught demanding money on camera in the sting operation for allegedly raising questions in Parliament.

Counsel for Bahal, Siddharth Luhtra, had contended that instead of taking action against the MPs, the police were targeting him for carrying out the sting operation.

It seemed that the Delhi police did not consider taking cognisance of the offence allegedly committed by the MPs, the court said, holding that the sting operation was carried out in public interest.

Justice Dhingra also directed the police to look into the role of middlemen involved in the scam.

The court had on August 29 sought to know from the police the action taken against the MPs involved in the cash-for-query scam.

It had restrained the police from arresting journalists on the petition of Bahal which sought quashing of criminal proceedings against the journalists as an FIR was lodged by the police at the behest of the MPs.

Eleven MPs -- 10 from the Lok Sabha and one from the Rajya Sabha-- were expelled from Parliament in December 2005 after a TV channel showed them taking bribes for asking questions in the House.