New Delhi:
A court in Delhi will resume hearing politician Amar Sing's bail plea in connection with the cash for votes-scam today. Mr Singh is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in Delhi. He was arrested on Tuesday and sent to judicial custody till September 19.
Yesterday, the court directed Tihar Jail authorities to submit a report on the Rajya Sabha MP's health condition as his counsel pleaded for interim bail for him on the grounds of his "deteriorating" health. Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal also asked prison authorities to apprise her of the conditions in which the high-profile politician is being kept in jail.
"I am only asking for the interim bail. I am sure your lordship (the judge) wants him (Amar Singh) here for trial. Till September 19 (the date for hearing on his regular bail plea), he may not be here," Singh's counsel said in court.
"He has developed urinary tract infection after kidney transplant. Urinary tract infection is dangerous for a person who has undergone kidney transplant. This could lead to renal failure and could also lead to death," he said.
The court, after hearing the arguments, listed the matter for further hearing on September 12, but after the defence lawyer insisted for early hearing of the matter, the judge called for the report to be submitted by today.
The former Samajwadi Party leader was arrested on Tuesday for bribing three BJP MPs to support Dr Manmohan Singh during a trust vote in 2008. He has been charged with abetment and criminal conspiracy under the Prevention of Corruption Act. According to the Delhi Police, Mr Singh walked into a trap carpentered by Sudheendra Kulkarni, who was an advisor to senior BJP leader LK Advani in 2008. Mr Kulkarni, according to the police's chargesheet, fancied himself as a whistleblower who decided to expose the UPA government's willingness to buy support for its trust vote. So he enlisted three MPs to market themselves to potential political buyers. Mr Singh allegedly rose to the occasion. Mr Kulkarni has also been chargesheeted for "inducement" of bribes and corruption; he is currently travelling in America.
In July 2008, the Left pulled out of the UPA government over Dr Singh's civil nuclear deal with America. 62 MPs therefore exited the government. Dr Singh had to prove he had a majority. On July 22, hours before the trust vote, three BJP MPs arrived in the Lok Sabha brandishing wads of notes. A crore, is what they said it added upto, describing it as an advance from Mr Singh delivered through middlemen. The MPs - Ashok Argal, Faggan Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora - said the deal struck with them was for three crores each; they just had to ensure they abstained during the vote. Mr Argal is still an MP; the other two are not, and were arrested on Tuesday along with Mr Singh.
The evidence against Mr Singh includes detailed phone records that establish he was in regular contact with Sanjeev Saxena, his assistant, who negotiated with the trio of BJP MPs. Mr Singh tried to deny that Mr Saxena was his aide; the police however found several letters written by Mr Singh where he referred to Mr Saxena as his assistant. The car that delivered the money to the MPs belonged to Mr Singh as well. (With PTI Inputs)