(Eds: With additional details)New Delhi, Dec 7 (PTI) A Delhi court today framed graftand criminal conspiracy charges against 11 formerparliamentarians in the infamous 2005 cash-for-query scam.
Special Judge Kiran Bansal put the 11 former MPs and anindividual on trial, which will commence from January 12.
The former MPs accused in the case are Y G Mahajan (BJP),Chhatarpal Singh Lodha (BJP), Anna Saheb M K Patil (BJP),Manoj Kumar (RJD), Chandra Pratap Singh (BJP), Ram Sewak Singh(Congress), Narender Kumar Kushwaha (BSP), Pradeep Gandhi(BJP), Suresh Chandel (BJP), Lal Chandra Kol (BSP) and RajaRampal (BSP).
A sting operation against the then MPs was conducted bytwo journalists which was telecast on a private news channelon December 12, 2005. The sting, which showed them taking cashfor raising questions in Parliament, came to be known as thecash-for-query scam.
In December 2005, the Lok Sabha had expelled 10 members,while Lodha was removed from the Rajya Sabha. The prosecutionhad relied upon the CDs/DVDs containing conversations amongthe accused and others.
The court also framed charges against Rampal's then PA,Ravinder Kumar, special public prosecutor Atul Shrivastavasaid.
The proceedings against one of an accused, Vijay Phogat,have been abated as he has passed away. Phogat was alleged tobe a middleman.
The court framed charges against the accused for theoffences of criminal conspiracy under the IPC and provisionsof the Prevention of Corruption Act.
It had on August 10 ordered framing of charges againstthem but could not frame charges due to repeated non-appearance of the accused who repeatedly sought exemption fromappearance.
The charge sheet was filed by the Delhi Police in 2009.
Besides the ex-Parliamentarians, two journalists werealso charge-sheeted for allegedly abetting the offence underthe anti-graft law and were summoned by the trial court. Butthe proceedings against them were quashed by the Delhi HighCourt. PTI AG RKSARC.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.