AAP MLA's relative held for alleged bribe of Rs 90 lakh for poll ticket

The Anti Corruption Branch of the Delhi government has arrested AAP MLA Akhilesh Pati Tripathi's brother-in-law and his two associates for allegedly demanding Rs 90 lakh as bribe for giving ticket to a party worker's wife in the civic polls.

The incident came to light on Monday after a Gopal Khari, who stated that he is associated with the Aam Aadmi Party as an active worker since 2014, approached the ACB with the complaint, according to an official statement on Wednesday.

Khari had met Model Town legislator Akhilesh Pati Tripathi last Wednesday with a request to secure a councillor ticket from the AAP for his wife for Ward No. 69 in Kamla Nagar, the ACB said.

Tripathi had demanded a bribe of Rs 90 lakh for it, following which Khari had paid Rs 35 lakh to him. He also gave Rs 20 lakh to AAP MLA Rajesh Gupta on the Tripathi's insistence, according to a complaint.

Khari had told Tripathi that the remaining amount would be paid by him after getting the ticket. But on Sunday, the complainant did not find his wife's name in the list of contesting councillors released by the AAP as the ticket from his ward was given to some other person.

Later, Tripathi's brother-in-law, Om Singh, contacted Khari and assured him that the ticket would be given to him in the next election. Singh also offered to return the bribe amount that was given, it stated.

On the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, the ACB laid a trap at the Khari's residence, where Singh and his associates -- Shiv Shankar Pandey and Prince Raghuvanshi -- were caught when they came to return the Rs 33 lakh received by them on behalf of Tripathi

The three were arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code. Pandey is the personal assistant of Tripathi, it said.

The complainant has submitted audio and video recordings of his alleged dealings during payment and return of the bribe amount. An investigation is on to unearth the whole cases and to collect evidence, it added.