Politics | Updated Oct 06, 2008 at 05:06pm IST

Amar Singh gets clean chit in cash-for-vote

New Delhi: The Parliamentary Committee probe into the cash-for-votes scam has found no evidence against Samajwadi party General Secretary Amar Singh and Congress leader Ahmed Patel.

But the all party committee has said that there is a need for further investigation by an independent agency to probe into the role of SP MP Reoti Raman Singh - who reportedly went to the house of the three BJP MPs - and BJP member Sudheendra Kulkarni - who admitted to being present at the time of the sting operation carried out during the alleged attempt to bribe the MPs.

BJP leader VK Malhotra says the members got the Cash for Vote draft report late. So the meeting will now be held on October 17. "The draft has been circulated among the members

The cash-for-vote scam broke just before the Vote of Confidence called by the UPA in July this year.

Amar Singh and Ahmed Patel were accused of horse-trading before the crucial vote in the house.

There was speculation that CNN-IBN sting operation had caught on camera the allegation made by three BJP MPs that they were offered bribes to vote for the UPA Government during the July 22 trust vote.

After the Trust Vote, politicians traded charges over the MPs' allegations and demanded the channel broadcast the tapes immediately.

CNN-IBN thought it fit not to be drawn into the political battle and waited to tell the truth about the tapes after making its submissions before the Parliament panel.

CNN-IBN on August 12 appeared before a Parliament panel set up to investigate allegations made by the MPs.

The channel then broadcast its tapes on the cash-for-votes sting.

Watch: The truth of cash-for-votes sting

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