Cash-for-vote scam: Arguments on framing of charge begin

Nearly five years after the cash-for-vote scam took place, the prosecution today began its arguments on framing of charges against former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, Sudheendra Kulkarni, BJP leader L K Advani's former aide, BJP MP Ashok Argal and four others accused in the case.
Two former BJP MPs Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahabir Singh Bhagora, Suhail Hindustani, Sanjeev Saxena, Amar Singh's former aide , are also accused in the case.
Appearing before Special Judge Narottam Kaushal, Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran said "the argument that the entire thing was a sting is not correct."
On the role of Hindustani, the SG said, "As far as Hindustani is concerned, it is quite clear that he was the main conspirator and he was the one who got in touch with vulnerable BJP Party leaders."

Hindustani met S P Gupta, Aman Arora and Lovely Singh (all cited as prosecution witness) and offered names of the three BJP MPs, Parasaran said, adding that he met Kulkarni and they conspired to contact the news channel to do a sting.
On Kulkarni's role, he submitted, "Their argument is that entire thing was sting. But no..Kulkarni had twin objects, one was the sting operation and other was the bribe."

The court was also told that it was on Kulkarni's directions that Hindustani started contacting people in Samajwadi Party.
As the SG narrated the sequence of events of various meetings between the accused persons and their movement, the defence objected to the same and contended that the prosecution cannot describe the scenes on its own when it is their in the CD. At this, a part of the CD was played in the court.

The SG also said BJP MPs Argal, Kulaste and Bhagora fall under the same category and had the entire episode been a sting, they would have informed the law enforcement agency.
On Saxena, the prosecution said, he was the person who carried the money to Singh's residence.
The first charge sheet in the matter was filed in August 2011 in which all but Argal were named as accused.
The Delhi Police have filed three supplementary charge sheets and Argal was named as accused in the second supplementary charge sheet.
In the first chargesheet, police had accused Amar Singh and Kulkarni of "conspiring" and "masterminding" the scam to bribe some MPs ahead of the July 22, 2008 confidence vote in Lok Sabha.

All the accused have been booked under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and for criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code.
The case was registered in 2009 on recommendation by a Parliamentary panel which had probed the scam.