By IANS,
New Delhi : A special court here Friday dismissed the bail pleas of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani’s former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni and two former MPs who have been arrested in the 2008 cash-for-vote scandal.
Besides Kulkarni, Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal rejected the bail applications of former BJP MPs Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahabir Singh Bhagora.
Declining bail to them, the court said: “They were never serious about exposing corruption.”
Kulkarni has repeatedly said that his role in the case was that of a whistle-blower.
The court said that they had ample opportunity to inform any law enforcing agency about the bribe being offered to them. “Sorry, I am not granting bail to all of you,” said the court.
Kulkarni is in Tihar Jail under judicial custody after his interim bail plea was rejected. He appeared before the special judge Sep 27, after failing to do so Sep 6 and Sep 19 as he was in the US.
Kulaste and Bhagora were arrested Sep 6 along with Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh.
“The charge against me is false and politically motivated. My role in the entire matter was that of a whistleblower,” Kulkarni told reporters outside the Tis Hazari court complex here.
“Along with my associates, three BJP MPs and Suhail Hindustani, I attempted to expose the purchase of MPs for securing victory in the confidence vote that the then government was seeking in the Lok Sabha,” Kulkarni said.
“I am not running away from anyone. I am ready to go to jail if exposing corruption is a crime,” he added.
Kulaste and Bhagora are two of three BJP MPs accused of accepting Rs.1 crore each in July 2008, ahead of a parliamentary trust vote. In return, they promised to abstain from voting.
The money was allegedly paid to them by politician Amar Singh, who has also been arrested for criminal conspiracy. Singh has, however, denied all charges against him.
The crime branch of Delhi Police has said that Kulkarni was present when the one crore advance was paid to the BJP MPs.
On July 22, 2008, three BJP members of the Lok Sabha waved wads of currency notes inside the house ahead of the scheduled trust vote, alleging they were given the money to vote in favour of the Manmohan Singh government.