Police asked to file report on complaint against Amar Singh

The Court's order came on a private complaint of Hashmat Ali, a prosecution witness

PTI | October 10, 2011



Delhi Police was on Monday directed by a local court to file a report on a complaint of a key prosecution witness in the 2008 cash-for-vote scam case that rajya sabha MP Amar Singh and others had threatened and kidnapped him ahead of his deposition before a parliamentary committee.

"Station house officer (SHO) of Tughlak Road police station is directed to file a status report on November 21," metropolitan magistrate Sudesh Kumar said.

The court's order came on a private complaint of Hashmat Ali, a prosecution witness in the cash-for-vote scam.

Ali, in his complaint, has sought registration of an FIR against Amar Singh, former Samajwadi Party leader, his secretary Tarun and aide Ramesh under various provisions of the IPC and the Arms Act relating to kidnapping, illegal confinement, robbery and criminal intimidation.

Ali has alleged that on September 25, 2008, when he was to record his testimony before the parliamentary enquiry committee, constituted to probe the scam, he was kidnapped by co-accused Tarun and Ramesh and was taken to Lodhi Estate bungalow of Amar Singh.

"Amar Singh started abusing complainant (Ali) and threatened to kill him and his family. Then Singh slapped the complainant...Thereafter the complainant was locked in a room and after three-four hours, he was handed over to the police in the presence of media," the complaint filed through Ali's advocate L K Verma said.

Singh, undergoing treatment at AIIMS in judicial custody, is an accused along with BJP leader L K Advani's former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni, former BJP MPs Faggan Singh Kulaste, Mahabir Singh Bhagora and Sohail Hindustani and Sanjeev Saxena in the cash-for-vote scam case.

Ali, alleged associate of BJP activist and co-accused Hindustani, had allegedly driven a car, in which then BJP MPs Ashok Argal and Faggan Singh Kulaste were sitting, to Amar Singh's residence on July 22, 2008.

In the private complaint, Ali alleged that first Singh attempted to lure him to give a favourable testimony before the Parliamentary panel.

As Ali did not relent later, he was picked up by the accused from Khan Market here at gunpoint on the morning of September 25 and consequently, he could not record his statement before the panel, the complaint alleged.

The parliamentary panel had also directed the secretariat to prepare draft report in the matter after Ali did not appear before it, his lawyer said.

Citing media reports, Ali's counsel said that it was apparent that he had been physically prevented from appearing before the committee in which a design of Amar Singh became conspicuous.

The court took the complaint of Ali into records asking police to file the report and fixed the matter for further hearing on November 21.

Amar Singh and others have been charge sheeted by the crime branch of Delhi Police in the main case. It has been alleged that Singh hatched a criminal conspiracy to bribe the then BJP MPs to influence their voting in the trust vote on July 22, 2008.

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