Cash-for-query: Charges to be framed on September 19

A court here on Monday fixed September 19 for formally framing charges against 11 former parliamentarians in connection with the 2005 cash-for-query case.

Delhi Police has chargesheeted 11 former MPs -- Chhatarpal Singh Lodha, Anna Saheb M.K. Patil, Pradeep Gandhi, Suresh Chandel, Chandra Pratap Singh, Ram Sewak Singh, Manoj Kumar, Narender Kumar Kushwaha, Lal Chandra Kol, Y.G. Mahajan and Raja Rampal -- for allegedly taking money to ask questions in Parliament.

Special Judge Poonam Chaudhry on Monday adjourned the hearing untill September 19.

The court on August 10 said that prima facie charges dealing with criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act were made out against the accused.

The court has also ordered framing of charges against a person named Ravinder Kumar while proceedings against one of the accused has been dropped as he has died.

Special Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava alleged that they had misused their office when they were caught on camera during a sting operation seeking money for asking questions in Parliament in what came to be known as cash-for-query scam.

--IANS

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