The relative of an Aam Aadmi Party MLA and an associate were caught on tape talking about a deal for a party nomination in the Delhi municipal elections, the city's Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has alleged, releasing hidden camera footage.
In the video, MLA Akhilesh Pati Tripathi's relative Om Singh, and an associate, Prince Raghuvanshi, are heard discussing the deal, the ACB has alleged. While Raghuvanshi is in the video, talking on the phone, Singh is at the other end of the line, the agency has claimed.
NDTV has not been able to independently verify the video.
The exchange on the video, which also includes Gopal Khari - the man who approached the ACB - goes like this:
Gopal Khari: Hello, yes, brother? Om? Speak to this brother, please. Prince.
Prince Raghuvanshi: Two bundles of two-thousand [rupee notes] are short. There are 33 here.
Om Singh (on the phone): Will get it done tomorrow.
Gopal Khari: Tell Dayal ji, this is two short. There are 33 lakh here.
The Aam Aadmi Party has firmly denied that election slots were being sold, saying that the evidence presented does not tie the party or any leader to any wrongdoing. Pointing fingers at the BJP - whose central government controls Delhi Police and the Anti-Corruption Branch - the AAP has called for an "unbiased" investigation and "strict action against those who may have misused any position".
"If someone says they can help you get the AAP ticket for money, be sure that person is lying. The person who is said to have paid a bribe did not get any ticket anyway. This proves we are clean," said Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. "The MLAs actually never recommended the name of the person who was allegedly promised the ticket by some people," he further said.
The scandal broke on Wednesday after the ACB announced that it had arrested AAP MLA Akhilesh Pati Tripathi's brother-in-law and his two associates for allegedly demanding Rs 90 lakh as a bribe for an election ticket to a party worker's wife in the civic polls.
The agency said the incident came to light on Monday after Gopal Khari, who stated that he is associated with the AAP as an active worker since 2014, approached the ACB with the complaint.
Mr Khari had met Model Town legislator Akhilesh Pati Tripathi last Wednesday with a request to secure a councillor ticket from the AAP for his wife for Ward No. 69 in Kamla Nagar, the ACB said.
Mr Tripathi had demanded a bribe of Rs 90 lakh for it, following which Mr Khari had paid Rs 35 lakh to him. He also gave Rs 20 lakh to AAP MLA Rajesh Gupta on Mr Tripathi's insistence, according to a complaint.
Mr Khari had told Mr Tripathi that the remaining amount would be paid by him after getting the ticket.
But on Sunday, the complainant did not find his wife's name in the list of contesting councillors released by the AAP, as the ticket from his ward was given to some other person.
Later, Mr Tripathi's brother-in-law, Om Singh, contacted Mr Khari and assured him that the ticket would be given to him in the next election. Singh also offered to return the bribe that was given, it stated.
On Monday night, the ACB laid a trap at Mr Khari's home, where Singh and his associates - Shiv Shankar Pandey and Prince Raghuvanshi - were caught when they came to return the Rs 33 lakh received by them on behalf of Mr Tripathi. The three were arrested.
BJP To Not Name Chief Ministerial Candidate For Delhi Polls: Source Opinion: Opinion | Why Mahila Samman Yojana Is Unlikely To Boost AAP's Chances Free Treatment For Senior Citizens At All Delhi Hospitals: Arvind Kejriwal 12 Dead, Many Critical In Jaipur Fire As 2 Trucks Collide Outside Petrol Pump Google Slashes 10% Of Managerial Staff In Hunt For 'Googleyness': Report Tabla Legend Zakir Hussain's Funeral Held In San Francisco Hardeep Puri vs Shashi Tharoor Over 2009 Dinner With George Soros In US Pollution-Free Environment Constitutional Right: Court On Authority's Inaction 2 Indigenously-Built Warships 'Nilgiri' And 'Surat' Delivered To Navy Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.