Amar Singh gave me money to bribe MPs: ex-aide Saxena

Sanjeev Saxena, arrested on bribery charges in connection with the 2008 parliamentary trust vote, today told a Delhi court that it was former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh who had given money to pay as bribe, according to media reports.

Sanjeev Saxena, arrested on bribery charges in connection with the 2008 parliamentary trust vote, on Monday told a Delhi court that it was former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh who had given money to pay as bribe, according to media reports.

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The court later sent Amar Singh's close aide Sanjeev Saxena, to three days' police custody. Special judge Sangeeta Dhingra allowed the Crime Branch's plea and posted the matter for Thursday.

Saxena was arrested on Sunday, two days after the Supreme Court upbraided the police for the tardy investigations into the case.

On July 22, 2008, three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs brought Rs 1 crore in cash into the Lok Sabha and alleged that money was paid to them to secure their votes in the trust vote, after the Left parties withdrew support to the United Progressive Alliance-I government over the India-US civilian nuclear deal.

The three BJP members were Ashok Argal, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora. The BJP alleged that Saxena was allegedly caught on camera in a sting operations giving money to the three MPs.

They also alleged that it was Saxena who called Amar Singh from his mobile phone and got the three BJP members to talk to him in order to fix a deal.

However, Amar Singh has denied any role in the episode and distanced himself from Saxena.