By IANS,
New Delhi : A Delhi court Monday asked Delhi Police to file a status report on a complaint of a key prosecution witness in the 2008 cash-for-vote scam case that Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh and others had threatened and kidnapped him ahead of his deposition before a parliamentary committee.
The court was hearing a private complaint filed by Hashmat Ali, a prosecution witness in the cash-for vote scam.
Ali, in his complaint, sought registration of an FIR against Singh, his secretary Tarun and his aide Ramesh under various provisions of the IPC and the Arms Act relating to his kidnapping, illegal confinement, robbery and criminal intimidation.
Metropolitan Magistrate Sudesh Kumar in his order said: “Station House Officer (SHO) of Tughlak Road police station is directed to file a status report on Nov 21.”
Ali said in his complaint that Sep 25, 2008, when he was to record his testimony before the parliamentary inquiry committee, constituted to probe the scam, he was kidnapped by co-accused Tarun and Ramesh and was taken to the Lodhi Estate bungalow of Amar Singh.
“Amar Singh started abusing complainant (Ali) and threatened to kill him and his family. Then Singh slapped the complainant. Thereafter, the complainant was locked in a room and after three-four hours, he was handed over to the police in the presence of media,” states the complaint filed through Ali’s counsel L.K. Verma.
Singh, undergoing treatment at AIIMS in judicial custody, is an accused along with BJP leader L.K. Advani’s former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni, former BJP MPs Faggan Singh Kulaste, Mahabir Singh Bhagora and activist Sohail Hindustani and Sanjeev Saxena in the cash-for-vote scam case.
Ali in his complaint had alleged that first Singh attempted to lure him to give a favourable testimony before the parliamentary panel.
“He was picked up by the accused from Khan Market here at gunpoint on the morning of Sep 25 and consequently, he could not record his statement before the panel,” said Verma.
“The parliamentary panel had also directed the secretariat to prepare a draft report in the matter after Ali did not appear before it,” added Verma.
Singh and others have been charge sheeted by the crime branch of Delhi Police in the main case. It has been alleged that Singh hatched a criminal conspiracy to bribe the then BJP MPs to influence their voting on the confidence motion in the Lok Sabha on July 22, 2008.