Cash-for-votes: Amar Singh's bail order reserved for Tuesday

A Delhi court on Monday reserved till Tuesday its order on the interim bail plea of Rajya Sabha member and former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, who is in jail for alleged involvement in the cash-for-vote scandal during the July 2008 trust vote in parliament.

Singh, 55, was arrested on September 6 and sent to judicial custody till September 19. The MP has sought interim bail on medical grounds.

Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal had adjourned the hearing on his interim bail application, directing the Tihar jail authorities to submit a report on his medical condition by 11am on Friday.

The Tihar jail authorities, in their report, said the MP was stable and his vital organs were being regularly monitored.

Amar Singh and two former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs - Fagan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Singh Bhagora - were arrested on September6 for their alleged involvement in the attempt to bribe MPs ahead of the July 2008 parliament trust vote.

On July 22, 2008, three BJP MPs - Kulaste, Bhagora and incumbent Ashok Argal - waved wads of currency notes in the Lok Sabha ahead of a trust vote, alleging they were given the money to vote in favour of the Manmohan Singh government.

The charge sheet alleged that during investigation "sufficient evidence" came on record that Amar Singh "hatched a criminal conspiracy with his secretary Sanjeev Saxena to deliver cash of Rs1 crore as illegal gratification".

The Delhi Police had taken permission from Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari before chargesheeting Amar Singh. Permission has also been sought from Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar for proceeding against Ashok Argal.