Amar Singh, Sudheendra Kulkarni charged - Cash for Vote Scam

Former SP general secretary Amar Singh was on Wednesday charged in a Delhi court in the 2008 cash-for-vote scam along with two ex-BJP MPs and L K Advani's former close aide Sudheendra Kulkarni for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to bribe MPs ahead of a confidence vote in Lok Sabha.

Kulkarni has been dubbed as the "mastermind" of the scam and he allegedly remained in touch with all conspirators and was present when the "illegal gratification" was paid to the MPs, according to the charge sheet.

The two former BJP MPs named in the chargesheet are Phagan Singh Kuleste and Mahaveer Singh Bhagoda.

Sanjeev Saxena, former aide of Amar Singh and Suhail Hindustani, alleged BJP activist, who are in judicial custody, have also been charged in the case.

However, the name of sitting BJP MP Ashok Argal, who was sought to be bribed to disobey the party line, was not mentioned in the chargesheet and Delhi Police said it would file a supplementary chargesheet after taking the requisite sanction to prosecute him.

The 80-page chargesheet was filed before special judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal. It will come up for cognisance before her on Thursday.

It alleged that Amar Singh, a Rajya Sabha MP, "conspired" with Saxena and others to bribe the then MPs and Kulkarni played an "active role" during the confidence motion.

The chargesheet alleged that during investigation "sufficient evidence" has come on record that on morning of July 22, 2008, Amar Singh, MP "hatched a criminal conspiracy with his secretary Sanjeev Saxena to deliver cash of Rs one crore as illegal gratification."

"And in furtherance of this criminal conspiracy, Saxena, along with another person in a yellow shirt, delivered Rs one crore cash at 4, Ferozeshah Road at about 11am to the three BJP MPs -- Argal, Kuleste and Bhagoda as advance out of a total deal of Rs nine crore as Rs three crore (were to be paid) to each MP to abstain from voting during the motion of confidence," it claimed.

"And thus Amar Singh has committed offence under section 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act read with section 120 B (conspiracy) of IPC for which the chargesheet is being submitted against him," the police alleged.

The chargesheet referred to the alleged role of Advani's former aide Kulkarni accusing him of keeping the probe agency in the dark about the whole episode of which he had "full knowledge."

"Kulkarni throughout remained in contact with other conspirators and played an active role and masterminded (it) and when actually the bribe money was paid to the BJP MPs, he remained present at the spot," it claimed.

It said he was "fully aware" that money had been paid to the three MPs but did not inform the law enforcement agencies about the illegal gratification.

The chargesheet said Argal would be prosecuted after securing the sanction from the appropriate authority and a supplementary charge sheet would be filed.

"The requisite prosecution sanction in respect of Ashok Argal, MP is being sought from the competent authority and after that supplementary charge sheet will be submitted under section 173 (8) of CrPC against Argal," the chargesheet said.