New Delhi, September 28: Senior BJP leader LK Advani’s former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni was arrested on 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 today 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 tomorrow.
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.”
—PTI