SC seeks status report on probe into 'cash-for-vote' scam

The Supreme Court today directed the Delhi Police to submit before it the status report of its probe in the "cash-for-vote" scam during the trust vote faced by the UPA govt in July 2008.

The court passed the order on a petition by former chief election commissioner J M Lyngdoh seeking its directions to the government to act against politicians involved in the scam.

Justice Aftab Alam ordered the police to file the status report by 15th July, disregarding the Centre's stand that an FIR had been lodged and a probe would be completed within two months.

Posting the matter for further hearing on 15 July, justice Alam responded, "Two months is a long time. Tell us about the present status of the probe."

Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium said that the status report would be filed within the stipulated period in a sealed envelope before the court.

Lyngdoh, in his petition, has asked the apex court to direct the government to set up an independent special investigation team with absolute powers and independence to to select the best officers to investigate the allegations of MPs having accepted money for their votes, and complete the investigations within six months.

The petition says that though three BJP MPs had displayed wads of currency notes in Parliament as bribe money to vote in favour of the UPA, no action has so far been taken against the guilty.

Though the incident occurred on 22 July 2008, neither the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police, which registered an FIR nor the chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which inquired into the allegation, had initiated any action on the allegations, Lyngdoh submiited in  his petition.