New Delhi:
The Delhi High Court is likely to pronounce its order today on the interim and regular bail pleas of jailed Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh in connection with the cash-for-votes scam. Mr Singh, a former Samajwadi Party leader, was arrested on September 6 and sent to Tihar Jail for his alleged involvement in bribing of MPs ahead of the trust vote in Parliament in July 2008.
The court had, last Wednesday, reserved its order on the bail applications till October 24. The ruling had come after the Delhi Police submitted before the court that the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), where Amar Singh is admitted, said in its report that the MP's condition was critical and he needed constant monitoring.
The police counsel had said, "We cannot dispute the report of AIIMS, which states his condition is critical therefore we do not oppose his bail application on medical grounds."
Mr Singh had moved the High Court after a city court had on September 28 rejected both his interim and regular bail pleas, saying his role was "major" in the entire episode aimed at "disgracing" parliamentary democracy.
The 55-year-old leader is currently admitted at AIIMS where he was brought to on September 12 from Tihar Jail after complaining of vomiting and pain in the kidneys. He has been undergoing treatment for renal infection there ever since.
Mr Singh, who is a diabetic, underwent a renal transplant in September 2009 and intestinal surgery 10 years ago. He also suffers from hypertension, tuberculosis infection, chronic kidney disease and urinary tract infection.
His lawyers have been arguing for his bail citing health concerns which, they say, requires him to travel abroad for treatment.
Mr Singh is an accused along with the three BJP MPs who were allegedly bribed in 2008 - Ashok Argal, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Singh Bhagora. Of the trio, only Mr Argal is a serving party MP. Senior BJP leader LK Advani's former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni and activist Suhail Hindustani and Sanjeev Saxena are also named as accused in the case. All of them have been chargesheeted by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police. It has been alleged that Mr Singh hatched a criminal conspiracy to bribe the then BJP MPs to influence their voting in the confidence motion in the Lok Sabha in 2008 against Manmohan Singh-led UPA government. At the time of the trust vote, he was a senior leader with the Samajwadi Party.
On July 22, 2008, three BJP MPs 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.