Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari has allowed CBI to prosecute Janata Dal United lawmaker Anil Sahani
Highlights
- JDU MP allegedly faked air tickets to claim allowances from Parliament
- He claimed over Rs. 23 lakh as travel allowance without going anywhere
- Anil Sahani is the first Rajya Sabha member to face criminal action
A lawmaker of Nitish Kumar's party, Anil Sahani, faces prosecution for allegedly faking air tickets to claim allowances from Parliament.
In a first, Vice President Hamid Ansari, the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, has sanctioned CBI action against the two-time parliamentarian.
Mr Sahani, 53, has been accused of cheating and corruption by the CBI in what has been dubbed the "LTC (Leave Travel Compensation) scam".
The Janata Dal-United led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has reportedly left it to Mr Sahani to decide whether he will step down. His term ends two years later.
The Bihar lawmaker allegedly used forged e-tickets and fake boarding passes to claim over Rs 23 lakh as travel allowance without going anywhere.
Others accused along with Mr Sahani are an employee of a Delhi-based travel company and an Air India official,
Mr Sahani has claimed that the central government is trying to malign him.
All parliamentarians get 34 free air tickets a year for domestic travel to their constituencies.
Mr Sahani is the first Rajya Sabha member to face criminal action. Sanction to prosecute lawmakers has been given twice by the Lok Sabha.