Cash-for-votes: Amar Singh falls ill, skips court

New Delhi: In another case of a high-profile accused falling ill before court appearance, Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh on Tuesday gave a miss to court proceedings in the cash-for-votes scandal.

Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal had on August 25 issued summons to Amar Singh, former BJP MPs Fagan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora and Sudheendra Kulkarni, a former associate of BJP leader LK Advani, in the cash-for-votes scam that rocked Parliament during a trust vote in 2008. 

The summons were issued after the Delhi Police filed a chargesheet in the case.

As Amar Singh sought exemption from appearance in the court hearing on cash-for-vote scam on medical grounds, the judge asked his counsel to submit all medical reports today itself.

Kulaste and Bhagora meanwhile appeared in court and have sought bail. Sudheendra Kulkarni has also sought exemption from appearance in court.

Prior to court hearing, Amar Singh’s lawyer told reporters outside the former Samajwadi Party leader’s residence here that he would not appear before the court as he is unwell.

Amar Singh's former aide Sanjeev Saxena and middleman Suhail Hindustani, both in judicial custody, are also likely to attend the proceedings today.

The court would also hear Saxena's bail plea today.

In the over 80-page chargesheet, police named Kulkarni as the "mastermind" of the scam.

"Kulkarni throughout remained in contact with other conspirators and played an active role and masterminded (it) and when actually the bribe money was paid to the BJP MPs, he remained present at the spot," it claimed.

The chargesheet alleged that during investigation "sufficient evidence" came on record that on morning of July 22, 2008, Amar Singh "hatched a criminal conspiracy with his secretary Sanjeev Saxena to deliver cash of Rs 1 crore as illegal gratification".

On July 22, 2008, three BJP MPs waved wads of currency notes in the Lok Sabha ahead of a trust vote, alleging they were given the money to vote in favour of the Manmohan Singh government.

Police secured permission from Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari before chargesheeting Amar Singh.

The case was registered in 2009 on the recommendation of a parliamentary panel which probed the scandal.

The trust vote was necessitated after the Left parties withdrew support to the government over the India-US civilian nuclear agreement.

There are 54 witnesses in the case, including the editor in chief of a leading English news channel.