CBI had filed a chargesheet against Anil Sahni alleging that he, in collusion with other persons, used forged e-tickets and fake boarding passes. (File photo)
With CBI getting nod to prosecute him in the alleged cheating and corruption in the LTC scam, JD(U) Rajya Sabha member Anil Sahni today denied the charges and refused to resign.
"It's a conspiracy against me... Why shall I resign on moral ground when I have not done anything wrong," the second term Rajya Sabha member from Nitish Kumar's party told news agency PTI in Patna.
Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari has given his approval to CBI to prosecute JD(U) lawmaker Anil Sahani against whom the agency had filed a charge sheet for alleged cheating and corruption in LTC Scam.
The Bihar lawmaker is reportedly the first from the Upper House who will be prosecuted by CBI after sanction in this regard was given by the chairman.
The lawmaker said he would also talk to lawyers to file a defamation suit.
Mr Sahni alleged that he fell victim to a "racket" which operated in raising fake bills for LTC for parliamentarians.
"Twice I drew attention of the authorities in 2013 about false bill submitted in my name by racketeers against LTC," he said, defending himself in the controversy.
"I invite the probe agency to check my bank accounts in Delhi as well in Patna to ascertain flow of money on this count," he said.
The JD(U) Rajya Sabha member, son of former JD(U) Rajya Sabha member Madan Sahni, said he would seek time with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is now also JD(U) president, to discuss the issue.
Asked who was "conspiring" against him and for what reason, the JD(U) lawmaker hailing from Muzaffarpur, said he did not know persons behind the conspiracy.
"I might be targeted as I hail from a poor community and have been raising issues concerning Dalits and have-nots," the JD(U) Rajya Sabha member said.
CBI had filed a chargesheet against Mr Sahni alleging that he, in collusion with other persons, used forged e-tickets and fake boarding passes to defraud Rajya Sabha to the tune of Rs 23.71 lakh as travel and dearness allowance reimbursement without undertaking the actual journey.
Besides Mr Sahni, whose term in Rajya Sabha ends in April 2018, others named in the CBI chargesheet were Anup Singh Panwar, an employee of Delhi-based Air Cruise Travels Private Limited, NS Nair, then Office Superintendent (Traffic), Air India and one Arvind Tiwari.
Members of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha get 34 free air tickets in a year for themselves, their family members and associates for domestic travel.
JD(U) state president Bashishtha Narayan Singh said the party would take appropriate action against Mr Sahni after a probe into the matter.
"Our party always takes action in such matters. We will take action against Sahni after conducting a preliminary inquiry by the party," Mr Singh told PTI.
Asked whether the party has served a show-cause notice to the Rajya Sabha member, he said the matter has just come to light and the party would initiate action based on facts that would be known from the report.