New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday
declined to stay the proceedings against a journalist who had
carried out sting operation on 11 former MPs for allegedly
taking money to ask questions in parliament in 2005 and
challenged the trial court`s summons against him in the
cash-for-query scam.
The court, however, exempted him from appearing in
person before the trial court till its further order.
Justice Mool Chand Garg`s order came on the plea of
Anirudh Bahal, Editor-in-Chief of web portal Cobra Post, that
the police has wrongly filed the chargesheet against him in
the FIR registered against the corrupt MPs.
Bahal said the journalists, who had conducted the
sting operation against the parliamentarians, should have been
made witnesses in the case but not the accused.
Delhi Police had chargesheeted the 11 former MPs for
misusing their office when they were caught on camera seeking
money during a sting operation in 2005 for asking questions in
Parliament in return for money in what came to be known as
cash-for-query scam.
Among the then lawmakers who were expelled by the
Speaker after being caught on camera, one Raja Rampal, who was
re-elected as a Lok Sabha member, has not been summoned as his
name has been put by the police in column number two (list
containing names against whom enquiry is pending) and the
police had yet not received sanction for prosecuting him.
Bureau Report
