Amar Singh's bail plea hearing deferred

The bail plea hearing of former Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh, in connection with the 2008 cash-for-votes scam, was on Friday deferred till September 12 by a Delhi court.

The court also ordered Tihar Jail medical staff to conduct another round of tests on an ailing Singh, who had earlier requested for bail on health grounds, as he is suffering from kidney-related problems.

Singh, who was arrested on Tuesday, is presently lodged at Delhi's Tihar Jail. He has been remanded in judicial custody till September 19.

The court had on Thursday directed Tihar Jail authorities to submit a report on Amar Singh's health condition. His counsel pleaded for interim bail for the Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament on grounds of his 'deteriorating' health.

Two former Bharatiya Janata Party lawmakers Faggan Kulaste and Mahavir Singh Bhagora have also been arrested in connection with the case and sent to judicial custody.

The cash-for-votes scam had rocked proceedings in the Lok Sabha in 2008, when the ruling United Progressive Alliance government, led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, allegedly bribed lawmakers of other parties to help win the confidence vote.