Cash for vote: Amar Singh, 6 others to be booked

Delhi Police is set to chargesheet seven persons, including MPs Amar Singh and Ashok Argal, for their alleged involvment in the cash-for-vote scam, three years after the incident took place.

Sources said they have found evidence against seven persons for their alleged involvement in the 2008 case and all will be charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh, BJP's Lok Sabha member Ashok Argal, former BJP MPs Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora, a BJP worker Suhail Hindustani, Singh's former aide Sanjeev Saxena and L K Advani's former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni are likely to be chargesheeted, sources said.

Police had already secured permission from Rajya Sabha Chairman for chargesheeting Singh while a letter has been sent to Lok Sabha Speaker seeking permission to charge Argal, they said.

The investigations into the three-year-old gathered pace last month after Supreme Court rebuked Delhi Police for shoddy investigations into the case in which three BJP MPs were sought to be bribed for voting in favour of UPA during trust vote in 2008.

Following Supreme Court scolding, police arrested Hindustani and Saxena besides questioning Singh, Argal and Rewati Raman Singh, a SP leader.

According to sources, the evidence against Singh predominantly revolved around call details. While allegedly delivering cash at the BJP MPs' residence, Saxena is said to have called Singh several times.

Singh allegedly tried to persuade three BJP MPs, including Argal, to vote in favour of UPA government during the trust vote in July 2008. Singh has denied the allegations.

The BJP had alleged that Saxena was Amar Singh's aide and he was allegedly caught on camera giving money to the BJP MPs. They had also alleged that it was Saxena who called Amar Singh from his mobile phone and got the three MPs to talk to him in order to fix a deal.

The allegation of bribing was levelled by then BJP MPs Argal, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora who claimed that Singh's aide Saxena delivered Rs one crore in cash to them on July 22, 2008, hours before the vote of confidence in Lok Sabha.

According to BJP, Rewati Raman allegedly met BJP MPs Argal, Kulaste and Bhagora at Argal's residence where the transaction was discussed. This was purportedly recorded through hidden cameras by a television channel which has not telecast the tape on the ground that its investigations were not complete.

These MPs travelled to 27 Lodi Estate on July 22, the day of the voting. The car which took the MPs to the residence of Singh was followed by the channel and its movements allegedly recorded. The MPs alleged that the tape had Saxena repeatedly calling a number.

During investigations, police had initially given clean chit to Congress and Samajwadi Party leaders saying it was Hindustani who allegedly masterminded the whole episode.