Delhi court asks police to investigate role of MPs in cash-for-query scam

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the police to investigate the involvement of Members of Parliament in the December 2005 cash-for-query scam, and submit a report to it within 60 days.

New Delhi, Nov 27 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the police to investigate the involvement of Members of Parliament in the December 2005 cash-for-query scam, and submit a report to it within 60 days.

While instructing the police not to and leave out the names of the culprits, Justice S N Dhingra said: "The whole country had watched the sting operation, but the police seems to have no eyes and no ears."

The petition was filed by Anirudh Bahal, Editor-in-Chief of Cobra Post, which carried out the sting operation.

In 2005, 11 MPs were allegedly caught on the camera by a private television channel while demanding money for asking questions in Parliament.

Counsel for Bahal, Siddharth Luhtra, had contended that instead of taking action against the MPs, the police were targeting him for carrying out the sting operation.

It seemed that the Delhi Police did not consider taking cognisance of the offence allegedly committed by the MPs, the court said, holding that the sting operation was carried out in the public interest.

It had restrained the police from arresting journalists on the petition of Bahal which sought quashing of criminal proceedings against the journalists as an FIR was lodged by the police at the behest of MPs.

In 2005, the Lok Sabha had expelled its ten members who were caught on camera accepting money for raising questions in the Parliament.

The 10 expelled members were Annasahed M K Patil, Y G Mahajan, Suresh Chandel, Pradeep Gandhi and Chandra Pratap Singh (all Bharatiya Janata Party), Narendra Kumar Kushwaha, Lal Chandra Kol and Rajaram Pal (all Bahujan Samaj Party), Manoj Kumar (Rashtriya Janata Dal) and Ramsevak Singh (Congress).

The one member of the Rajya Sabha was Chatrapal Singh Lodha (BJP).

ANI