MCD polls: Delhi ACB arrests 3 in cash-for-ticket case

New Delhi, Nov 16 (Agency) The Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch arrested three people, including kin of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA in an alleged cash for ticket scam for the upcoming Municipal Corporation of Delhi election, the probe unit said on Wednesday. Model Town MLA Akhilesh Tripathi’s brother-in-law Om Singh and his personal assistant Shiv Shankar Pandey and Prince Raghuvanshi were arrested, under sections 7/13 of POC Act and 171 (E) of IPC for allegedly accepting cash for giving ticket to complainant Gopal Khari’s wife Shobha Khari for Ward no 69 (Kamla Nagar), claimed ACB statement.On Monday, Khari had approached the ACB with the grievance and lodged a complaint and stated that he is associated with AAP as an active worker since 2014 and on November 9, he met MLA of Model Town with the request to secure Councilor ticket from AAP for his wife Shobha Khari, the statement stated.

The complainant further alleged that the MLA demanded Rs 90 lakh for the same. Khari claimed that he had paid Rs 35 lakh to the MLA and Rs 20 lakh to Wazirpur AAP MLA Rajesh Gupta, and also assured Model Town MLA that the remaining 35 lakh would be paid after securing the ticket.On November 12, Gopal Khari did not find the name of his wife in the list of contesting Councilors released by AAP, it stated. The complainant submitted audio and video recordings of his alleged dealings during payment and return of the amount.After due verification of all these evidences, on the intervening night of November 15 and 16, ACB officers laid a trap at the residence of complainant where Om Singh and his associates Shiv Shankar Pandey and Prince Raghuvanshi were trapped when they came to return the amount of Rs 33 lakh out of total 35 lakh received by them, it added. A case has been registered and the amount of Rs 33 lakh seized.