Travel bill scam: CBI examins Rajya Sabha member

CBI has examined Rajya Sabha member Lalhming Liana of Mizo National Front for allegedly submitting inflated bills to claim air travel reimbursement.
By questioning him, CBI has completed the examination of all six former and sitting members of Rajya Sabha against whom cases have been registered for allegedly claiming travel reimbursement using fake bills, CBI sources said.
"They asked me some questions which I answered. That is all. It is their job to investigate." Liana told PTI.
The agency will now co-relate their statements with the documentary evidence collected by it and, if needed, they may be called again for questioning and confronting with the evidence, the sources said.

The sources said the agency will also go through the records of the travel agencies which had booked the tickets for them and record the statements of the travel agents.
The sources said MPs had booked their tickets under an Air India promotional scheme where full fare economy class ticket passengers were entitled to having one ticket for their companion on nominal rates but allegedly submitted e-tickets of full fare for claiming reimbursement.

According to CBI, the MPs allgedly claimed full payment on companion air tickets from Rajya Sabha Secretariat using fake e-tickets.
CBI sources said cases have been registered against three sitting MPs D Bandopadhyay of Trinamool Congress (TMC), Brajesh Pathak of BSP and Liana for allegedly submitting fake bills.

Former Rajya Sabha members J P N Singh (BJP), Mahmood A Madani (Rashtriya Lok Dal) and Renu Pradhan (Biju Janata Dal) too have been named as accused in the case.