Delhi police today arrested the former BJP Yuva Morcha leader Suhail Hindustani in the most infamous 2008 ‘cash-for-votes’ scam. Police said he had acted as a liaison between Sanjeev Saxena and BJP MPs to buy MPs to bail out the UPA Government at the time of confidence vote.
The arrest of Hindustani followed the arrest of Sanjeev Saxena on Tuesday who was once very close to the former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh. Before being arrested by the police, Hindustani told media persons that Amar Singh was behind the operation to buy lawmakers.
“Amar Singh was behind the operation along with some top congress leaders. Police should examine his call records between July 9 and 22 of 2008 to know who called him to carry out the operation,” Hindustani said.
Following the revelation, police are also preparing to question Amar Singh and BJP MP Ashok Argal. Sudheendra Kulkarni, a former aide of senior BJP leader L.K. Advani may also be questioned in connection with the scam.
The police began the arrests after the Supreme Court chided them for being negligent in the case after registering an FIR in 2008 following the recommendation of the parliamentary panel.
Saxena told the investigators that he got the money from Mr. Singh after he made a number of calls to him on July 21 and 22 in 2008. Later, he delivered the cash to the MPs, he said. It might be recalled that the three BJP MPs who received the cash displayed the currency bundles in the Lok Sabha and said Saxena gave them the money as a bribe to vote for the UPA.
PM and Sonia behind the operation?
Some reports said that Hindustani told media persons that he got calls from Amar Singh and also Ahmad Patel, political secretary to congress president Sonia Gandhi and some persons close to the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
“I received calls from Amar Singh and Ahmed Patel. Those close to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also called me. I got calls from some persons from 10-Janpath,” he said, adding that those who called him offered a commission of between Rs.5 Cr and Rs.10 Cr.
Hindustani revealed that Amar Singh had told him that he was working for the Prime Minister and Ahmed Patel to save the government.
