IANS/New Delhi


The person who paid money during the 2008 trust vote was Ahmed Patel, the political secretary of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, top lawyer Ram Jethmalani alleged in a court yesterday as his client Amar Singh’s interim bail was extended until September 27 on health grounds.
Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal extended the bail granted to the former Samajwadi Party leader, in custody for alleged involvement in the cash-for-votes scam and currently under treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
Jethmalani attacked the Congress and dragged Patel into the scam. Earlier, Jethmalani had argued that since it was a sting operation mounted by the Bharatiya Janata Party, the money “must have” come from the BJP.
Jethmalani is BJP’s Rajya Sabha member.
“The person who paid the money was not Amar Singh but obviously Ahmed Patel... the notice could only be attributed to parties which wanted to save the government,” Jethmalani said in the special court.
He said he was not trying to blame the Congress Party but wanted to say that many influential members of the party were responsible for the money trail.
Jethmalani also questioned the Central Bureau of Investigation’s conduct, asking why Samajwadi Party MP Rewati Raman Singh was not connected to the case when he was seen in the video recorded.
“Rewati Raman Singh, who was seen in the video tape and even his audio has been recorded, is neither made an accused nor a witness in the case. Whereas my client (Amar Singh), who is nowhere in the tape, is made an accused,” Jethmalani said.
Pressing for Amar Singh’s bail, Jethmalani said the statement of the accused in the case cannot be treated as evidence.
“This is a very strange kind of scenario where the entire case is starting on the statement of the accused... statement of the accused is technically no evidence. Nowhere, throughout the camera operation one can find the face or even the voice of Amar Singh, hence there is no prima facie evidence against him,” Jethmalani said.
Meanwhile, the court extended the judicial custody of co-accused Sohail Hindustani until today.
Hindustani collapsed during the hearing inside the courtroom yesterday and was taken to the hospital.
Besides, the court has directed BJP leader L K Advani’s former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni, a co-accused in the case, to appear before it on September 27.
“More time is granted but no time will be granted after September 27,” the judge said.
Kulkarni failed to attend the court despite his September 6 undertaking to the court.
The court will see the video clipping of the sting operation conducted in the scam on September 20.
Amar Singh was arrested on September 6 for his alleged involvement in an attempt to bribe MPs ahead of the July 2008 parliament trust vote.