Rewati Raman made accused

Meanwhile, Delhi High Court yesterday deferred till Wednesday hearing on Amar Singh's bail plea

Rewati Raman made accused

Meanwhile, Delhi High Court yesterday deferred till Wednesday hearing on Amar Singh's bail plea

Despite a clean chit given to Samajwadi Party leader Rewati Raman Singh by Delhi police in the 2008 cash-for-vote scam case, a city court has made him the accused and issued summons for his alleged role. The court said there was sufficient material to show that Singh was prima facie part of the alleged conspiracy.

Rewati Raman Singh

Asking him to appear before it on November 3, the court noted that "prima facie it appears the accused was part and parcel and an important link in the chain of events of the alleged criminal conspiracy". On October 14, Delhi police had told the court that there was no evidence to prove Raman Singh's involvement. The court, however, took cognizance of the offence after taking into account records and statements made by three co-accused - former BJP MPs Faggan Singh Kulaste, Mahabir Singh Bhagora and sitting MP Ashok Argal.

'No evidence'
Public Prosecutor Rajiv Mohan told special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal that on the basis of evidence available on record, it cannot be said that Singh was part of the alleged conspiracy to bribe parliamentarians to secure their support and so he has not been named in the charge sheet. "There is no conversation or talk or any record to show that Rewati Raman Singh was part of the conspiracy," said the prosecutor. Mohan made the submission in response to the court's direction a day earlier to appraise it of the probe into alleged involvement of Rewati Raman Singh in the scam and also spell out its stand on his role.

Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal, in her order yesterday, said, "In my considered view there is sufficient material on record to form an opinion that Rewati Raman Singh was part of the alleged criminal conspiracy. I take cognizance of the offence under section 120 B (conspiracy) of IPC against Rewati Raman Singh."

No bail yet for Amar
In a separate development, Delhi High Court yesterday deferred till Wednesday the hearing on the bail plea of Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh, arrested for his alleged role in the cash-for-vote scam. Justice Suresh Kait decided to hear Singh's interim as well as regular bail pleas today at 2.15 pm after the state counsel sought an adjournment due to non-availability of its senior advocate to advance arguments on its behalf.