Rajya Sabha chairman gives nod for JD-U MP's arrest
New Delhi : Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Hamid Ansari has given the CBI sanction to prosecute Janata Dal-United member Anil Sahani, sources said on Friday.
 
The scam relates to reimbursements being claimed against fake boarding passes and bills from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.
 
Sahani claimed he is being framed.
 
This is the first time a Rajya Sabha chairman has given such a clearance, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat sources said.
 
A CBI official told IANS a charge-sheet in the case was filed last year, and with the clearance from the Rajya Sabha chairman, they will now proceed with "further action" which is likely to be arrest of the MP.
 
Members of parliament or assemblies cannot be arrested without prior permission of the speaker of the Lok Sabha or the assembly or Rajya Sabha or legislative council chairman.
 
While this is the first time that the Rajya Sabha chairman has given such a permission, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar twice sanctioned arrests, first in 2010 against Congress MP Rajaram Pal in the cash-for-query scam, and second time against BJP MP Ashok Argal in the cash-for-vote case.
 
It was revealed that Sahani and three other accused allegedly used forged e-tickets and fake boarding passes to defraud the Rajya Sabha of Rs.23.71 lakh.
 
Sahani, however, denied the charge.
 
"Under a parliamentary procedure, permission will have to be given. They are saying I took Rs.23 lakh, if I have even 23 paisa in my account I will resign.
 
"It is a conspiracy against me because I raise issues related to poor and Dalit."
 
"I will ask the chairman, I have given all documents and account statements which prove I did not take any money. How is the CBI prosecuting me then?" he added.
 

Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article.

Comments
D S Ranga Rao
8 years ago
A step in the right direction, though not a day too soon. But only one black sheep out of scores and scores of such types? Isn't it like catching a mouse after digging up a huge mountain? What about confiscation of assets of the accused now that a charge sheet was already filed and now the clearance for arrest also given? If the loss is not made good from the same hands that caused it, the whole exercise will end up in a grand fiasco and all the institutions that pursued it will be rendered a laughing stock of themselves. Time that polity woke up and learnt to live by rule of law(Equality before law).
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