Cash-for-vote committee's term extended

New Delhi, Aug 9 (UNI) The term of the seven-member Parliamentary committee, which was entrusted with the task of inquiring into the 'cash-for-vote' scam, has been extended up to August 29, official sources said here today.

The committee, headed by Kishore Chandra Deo, was appointed to inquire into the July 22 incident in the Lok Sabha, when three BJP MPs displayed wads of currency notes of Rs 1000 denomination, totalling Rs one crore, in the House. The amount was allegedly paid to them as bribe to vote with the UPA government in the motion of confidence moved by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh government.

The committee was earlier asked to submit its report on August 11.

Official sources told UNI that the committee was given extension as it could not complete its work within the specified time. This was due to the fact that it had to get the permission of Rajya Sabha Chairman to question the Upper House members Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh and Mr Ahmed Patel, Secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Their names were mentioned by the three BJP MPs in their complaint to the Speaker.

The committee, while seeking extension of its term, also pointed out that it had to seek the expert opinion for checking the veracity of the 11 CDs it had received from the private television channel CNN-IBN, which had conducted the sting operation, and also from the BJP and the UPA.

The committee, which had its first sitting on July 30, already had three sittings with the fourth one being scheduled for August 11 when it would hear the version of the representatives of the news channel.

BJP MPs Ashok Argal and Faggan Singh Kulaste deposed before the committee on August seven. The third MP Mahavir Bhagora could not appear on that day as he was indisposed.

Besides Mr Deo, the Committee has Mr V K Malhotra (BJP), Mr Kuppusway (DMK), Mr Mohammed Salim (CPI-M), Mr Devendra Prasad Yadav (RJD), Mr Ram Gopal Yadav (SP) and Mr Rajesh Varma (BSP).

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