FIR against Lodha146;s PA

After almost 18 months, the Delhi Police has registered the first FIR in the cash-for-query scam. A sting operation conducted by cobrapost.com and Aaj Tak

After almost 18 months, the Delhi Police has registered the first FIR in the cash-for-query scam. A sting operation conducted by cobrapost.com and Aaj Tak showed 11 Members of Parliament accepting cash to table questions in Parliament. The sting operation8212;Operation Duryodhana 8212;had shocked the nation and a parliamentary committee on ethics was constituted to file a report on it.

With the committee submitting its report to the Delhi Police, a case under Prevention of Corruption Act and charges of criminal conspiracy was registered on Saturday at the Parliament Street police station against then MP Chattrapal Singh Lodha8217;s private secretary Harish Badola, reporter of cobrapost.com Suhasini Raj and Aaj Tak.

Lodha had reportedly accepted money from the reporter for raising a question in Parliament.

The FIR registered under Section 13 1 D of the Prevention of Corruption Act and 120 B of IPC says: 8220;This matter was referred to committee on ethics of Parliament, which recommended to act against corrupt middlemen, Private Secretary of Members of Parliament and official working in a parliamentary working office, who was instrumental in arranging the meeting of the undercover reporter with the MP and acted as conduit in murky deals under the law.8221;

Suhasini Raj submitted before the committee that she first met Lodha on May 17, 2005 as a representative of North India Small Manufacturing Association NISMA. The meeting was arranged by a middleman, Harish Badola, Lodha8217;s private secretary. Raj reportedly gave Badola Rs 25,000 as Lodha8217;s share and Rs 5,000 as his own for arranging the meeting.

Raj allegedly met the MP five times8212;May 17, May 22, August 31, October 30 and November 9, 2005. However, Lodha told the committee that he accepted the money as her membership fee for an Ayurvedic NGO8212;Vishwa Ayurvedic Parishad. Badola and Raj have been named in the FIR, however, no person from Aaj Tak has been named.

The FIR states that Badola arranged the meeting with an ulterior motive of obtaining pecuniary advantage for himself and for Lodha after hatching a conspiracy with him and thereby, committed offences of criminal misconduct. The FIR also states that cobrapost.com and Aaj Tak have acted in contravention of the procedure given under rule 295 of Rules of Procedure and Business in the Council of States, regarding breach of code of conduct by an MP.

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The Crime Branch has taken possession of the committee report and unedited videotapes of Operation Duryodhana. 8220;We have to read the whole report first and check the tapes,8221; said a Crime Branch officer.