Cash-for-vote scam: Advani's former aide Kulkarni arrested

New Delhi, Sep 27 (PTI) Senior Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP leader L K Advani's former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni was
arrested Tuesday and sent to Tihar jail by a Delhi court for
his alleged role in the 2008 cash-for-vote scam.
Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal ordered that
Kulkarni be taken into judicial custody while rejecting his
plea for interim bail on grounds of being a "whistle blower"
in the case.
54-year-old Kulkarni, who had failed to appear before the
court on two previous dates despite issuance of summons to
him, had appeared Tuesday and sought interim bail on the
ground that he was not arrested by the Delhi Police even
during the probe into the case.
After a day-long hearing, the court rejected Kulkarni's
claim that he did everything to expose the rampant corruption
and the horse-trading underway to win the July 22, 2008
confidence vote and sent him to judicial custody till October
1, which the court also slated for hearing of his regular bail
plea.
The court, meanwhile, also reserved for tomorrow its
order on the regular bail plea of Rajya Sabha member Amar
Singh, who is currently out of jail on an interim bail, which
too was extended till Wednesday.
At the end of the court proceedings, Kulkarni was taken
into custody by the Delhi Police which put him in Tihar prison
van along with other co-accused and sent to jail.
Kulkarni, who had failed to appear before the court on
two earlier dates - September 6 and 19, in response to the
court summons, personally told the judge that he had gone to
the US for admission of his daughter for undergraduate studies
in a prestigious Massachusetts college.
"I cannot be made an accused in this case. An impression
has been gathered that I did not appear before the court
intentionally, but I was actually performing some fatherly
duties. If you (judge) want, I can show you the documents in
this regard," Kulkarni said.
Kulkarni's counsel Mahipal Singh pleaded for bail to his
client saying no purpose would be served by keeping him in
jail as the charge sheet has already been filed and it would
not prejudice the prosecution case if he is given bail.
Kulkarni contended that his sole motive was to expose
corruption.
"What is the purpose? Is it to receive gratification or
the motive is to expose that some kind of horse-trading was
going on for the trust vote?
"...There is no reason to deny interim bail to a person
whose regular bail is pending (in the court) and who was not
arrested during investigation. He has been cooperating with
the investigating agency and was only a whistle blower," he
said.
On court's query as to why he did not inform the law
enforcement agencies immediately after the BJP MPs were
approached for their votes in lieu of bribe to influence
outcome of the confidence vote, the lawyer said, "I (Kulkarni)
did not inform because I wanted to expose it in the Lok
Sabha (Lower House of Indian Parliament)."
The defence counsel said there is nothing on record to
show that his client pocketed money in the whole episode
and whatever he did was only to expose corruption.
"If my purpose was to pocket the money, I would not have
let it be shown in Parliament. In fact it was not a deal of
only Rs one crore but it was a deal of Rs nine crore. If I
were to take illegal gratification, I could have got Rs 8
crore more," the counsel said.
Opposing Kulkarni's interim bail plea, public prosecutor
Rajeev Mohan accused him of besmirching Indian democracy by
his act.
"The Indian democracy has been defamed and the national
honour was put at stake (by the acts of the accused in the
case)," the prosecutor said adding, the defence counsel have
not shown any purpose for grant of interim bail.
During the day's proceedings, the court also heard the
arguments on the regular bail plea of Amar Singh, who is
hospitalised at All India Institute of Medical Sciences
(AIIMS) since September 12.
Advocate Hariharan, appearing for the former Samajwadi
Party general secretary, referred to the AIIMS latest medical
report on Singh to claim that his client is not well and
deserves to be granted bail on health ground itself.
"Besides the merits, even in relation to the medical
ground, I satisfy all the criteria for grant of bail," he
said adding even after two-weeks of his treatment at AIIMS,
his vital parameters are not stabilising.
At this, the judge said as per the AIIMS report, Singh
needs constant monitoring, which he is getting in hospital.
"You need to be monitored and it is the doctors who would
monitor his (Amar Singh) health condition. Is it so that he
would be monitored in home only?," the judge asked.