Cash-for-query: Charges to be framed on September 27

A court here on Tuesday fixed September 27 for formally framing charges against 11 former MPs in connection with the 2005 cash-for-query case.

Delhi Police has chargesheeted the 11 -- 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 adjourned the hearing until September 27 giving last opportunity to 76-year-old Mahajan, a former MP from Jalgaon in Maharashtra to appear on the next date fixed for hearing.

The court allowed Mahajan's plea seeking exemption from personal appearance on Tuesday on health grounds.

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

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

Special Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava alleged that the former MPs 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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