New Delhi, September 29
A Delhi court today dismissed the bail plea of political worker Suhail Hindustani, arrested for his alleged role in the 2008 cash-for-vote scam, saying he has played “an active role” in the case from beginning to end.

“From the material available on record, it prima facie appears that accused (Hindustani) played an active role and acted as a mediator from the initiation of the alleged conspiracy and remained in the picture till the conspiracy came to an end,” said special judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal, dismissing Hindustani’s bail plea. The court said that without Hindustani’s encouragement and support, the execution of the conspiracy would have become impossible.

The judge dismissed Hindustani’s contention that he was merely acting as a whistle-blower in the case to expose the corrupt deeds underway to win the confidence motion.

“There is no explanation forthcoming why police or any other law enforcing agency was not informed when Sanjeev Saxena (co-accused) came to deliver Rs 1 crore to Ashok Argal, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahabir Singh Bhagora (the then BJP MPs) and why Saxena and his associates, who remained unidentified, were not detained and handed over to the police or any other law enforcing agency,” the court said, rejecting Hindustani’s plea. The judge termed the entire case as “an attempt to subvert the functioning of Parliament.”

“The incident which is the basis of the present case has far reaching consequences which are beyond imagination and has a very deep impact on the society at large, as an attempt to subvert the functioning of Parliament and a mockery of the Republic of India has been made,” she said.

“The allegations against the accused are serious and it appears that he has played a leading and vital role in the alleged conspiracy. For the foregoing reasons, I decline the grant of regular bail to the accused,” the judge said.

Arrested on July 20, Hindustani had sought bail saying there was not an iota of evidence against him and the investigating agency had made him an accused to destroy the case itself so that the truth does not come out. — PTI