Lay down guidelines for sting operations: Committee

New Delhi, Mar 14: The government has been asked to lay down guidelines and norms for media sting operations which have led to the expulsion of 11 MPs and a three-month suspension recommendation against four MPs.

A recommendation has been made to this effect by the Parliament committee which inquired into corruption charges against four Lok Sabha MPs -- Alemao Churchill (Cong), Paras Nath Yadav (SP) and Faggan Singh Kulaste and Ramswaroop Koli (both BJP) in the MPs Local Area Development (MPLADS) scheme.

Seeking a three-month suspension for the four MPs, from December 20, 2005 to March 22, the committee in its 51-page report tabled today in the Lok Sabha said: ''The Committee also recommend that the Union Government may initiate steps for laying guidelines and norms for sting operations.''

The MPLAD scam was exposed by a sting operation, code-named ''Operation Chakravyuh,'' conducted by Star News TV. A similar operation ''Operation Duryodhan'' conducted jointly by Cobra post.com and ''Aaj Tak'' TV Channel had earlier resulted in the expulsion of 11 MPs -- 10 of Lok Sabha and one of Rajya Sabha.

Pointing out that Cobrapost had sold the video-recordings showing the MPs taking money for raising questions in Parliament, several members, while taking part in a discussion on the expulsion resolution, had called for an end to such sting operations which treated MPs like a commodity to make a fortune out of it.

Similar operations by the media had resulted in the resignation of Mr Bangaru Laxman as BJP President and Union Minister Dilip Singh Judev following TV footage showing them taking money and brought to light alleged corruption in Defence deals and rigging of cricket matches by players taking money from punters.

UNI

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