Conduit of 'corrupt minister' arrested: Azad

Jammu, Jan 14 (UNI) Acting swiftly on the disclosures made by an MLA in the Legislative Assembly, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today ordered arrest of the conduit who had taken bribe allegedly for a minister in the state Cabinet.

''A conduit, via whom a minister had demanded bribe money of Rs 40,000 from a sitting MLA, has been arrested immediately after the disclosures were made in the House,'' said Mr Azad, who was addressing the House on the issue that had paralysed the business of the Legislative Assembly.

In the second sitting of the House, Mr Lone had given in writing to Mr Azad the name of accused.

However, the name of the conduit was not disclosed by the Chief Minister.

''We have arrested the caller whose number was given to me by the MLA here. Now his connections will be investigated'' he said.

The Chief Minister also did not disclose the name of the indicted minister as some members in the House had asserted that action against a politician would be great embarrassment if he's found innocent.

Earlier in the morning, the House was adjourned for half an hour after protests by the Opposition parties who submitted an adjournment motion to discuss the allegations of corruption against a minister leveled by an independent MLA.

The allegations of independent MLA on Friday that a minister had taken bribe of Rs 40,000 from him to clear his sister's file and his suspicion that his father was a victim of political conspiracy have acted as a bombshell in the Legislative Assembly.

The Opposition parties had taken the allegations as an example to underline their claim of increased ''political corruption'' in the present Congress-PDP coalition regime in the state.

UNI VJ MSJ RS1839