Delhi High Court Wednesday granted bail to six accused including Sudheendra Kulkarni, saying had they wanted bribe, they would not have conducted a sting operation.
Virtually questioning the foundation of the 2008 cash-for-vote scam, the Delhi High Court Wednesday granted bail to six accused including Sudheendra Kulkarni, saying had they wanted bribe, they would not have conducted a sting operation.
"If there was any conspiracy between the petitioners (accused), inter-se or with bribe givers, they would not have associated themselves with the CNN-IBN news channel and exposed themselves to the act of taking money before the camera.
"I have gone through the entire voluminous charge sheet but could not find any prima facie evidence on record of demand and acceptance of illegal gratification by the three (BJP) MPs," Justice M L Mehta said while granting bail to six accused including two former BJP MPs, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahabir Singh Bhagora and L K Advani's former aide Kulkarni.
The court also granted anticipatory bail to sitting BJP MP Ashok Argal and asked the six accused, also including Sanjeev Saxena and Suhail Hindustani, to furnish a personal and surety bond of Rs 2 lakh each as pre-condition for bail.
It allowed the plea of BJP MPs that the accused wanted to expose Congress and Samajwadi party as they would not have planned the sting with the news channel, if they intended to accept the illegal gratification.
Justice Mehta, in a common order, noted that Parliament, which is supreme, did not take any action against the MPs.
"Admittedly, no action was taken by the Parliament except that of appointing a parliamentary inquiry committee. It is noted that some of the members of the inquiry committee have also given dissenting views ...," the court said.
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