New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Delhi Police to investigate the source of money in the 2008 cash-for-votes scam. The court issued the direction to the police while reacting to its status report on the cash-for-votes scam and observing that the latest report offered little more information that the previous one.
The two-judge bench of justices Aftab Alam and RM Lodha also observed that it has been distressing to know that middlemen and brokers tried to conspire to influence the proceedings of Parliament and to an extent succeeded.
"It is so disgusting that a middle man of the cheapest kind had been allowed to interfere with Parliamentary proceedings and he had succeeded," the bench observed. The apex court hoped that Delhi Police will do a fair and free investigation into the alleged unfortunate episode.
"We are sure that the Delhi Police can investigate in a fair and free manner. They are as good as any other investigating agency and will follow the law in letter and spirit," the bench told Additional Solicitor General Haren Rawal, appearing for the probe agency.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police assured that the investigations into the scam would be completed in the next three weeks after the court declined to grant 40 days time sought by the investigators. The Delhi Police report suspects that three politicians were involved in the scam.
So far three MPs including former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh have been quizzed and supposed mastermind Suhail Hindustani and Sanjeev Saxena, an alleged aide of Amar Singh have been arrested.
During the trust vote in the Lok Sabha in 2008 three BJP MPs - Ashok Argal, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora - had waved several bundles of notes claiming that they were offered the bribe to bail out the UPA government.
(With additional information from PTI)
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)