HimVani
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today gave a clean chit to sitting BJP MP from Shimla constituency, Virdender Kashyap, who was allegedly caught on camera accepting bribe, the video CD for which was later circulated in media. The CM said that the video CD was part of a “sting operation” and the people involved in it had malafied intentions. “The inquiry into the case, till now, has found no evidence that the MP had made any demand of money from anyone,” he said.
The Chief Minister said this during reply to the Cut Motion moved by the opposition Congress on law and order situation of the state. The CM said that prima facie it has been established in the inquiry that the sting operation was carried out by Devvrat Sharma, a resident of Roorkee in Uttrakhand, and Nisha Sharma, a resident of Kalka in Haryana. “The proposal for getting permission Under section 118 of the Land Reforms Act to buy land for setting up the institution, was totally fictitious and there was no trust on the name of Asha Ram Trust registered, about which the two were talking to the MP,” he said. Dhumal said that Kashyap had told them to complete their formality after which further matter can be taken up legally.
He said after they left, a cash packet was found on the table of the hotel where they met with Kashyap, including Rs 25,000, about which Kashyap had immediately informed the police. “Kashyap had not made any demand for money, including from the persons who are behind the sting operation and they had come on their own with ulterior motive. Many more heads could roll and many would stand exposed after the investigation in the case is completed,” the CM stated.
The CM also said that when the sting operation happened on April 21, Virender Kashyap was not a MP, neither had he got party ticket and nor was he holding any public office. He said that inquiry into the episode was still on and everything would be crystal clear with the outcome of the inquiry.
Earlier, the opposition Congress tried to corner the ruling BJP government for adopting double standards in the recently surfaced CDs involving the sitting BJP MP Virender Kashyap. “When the matter is about the CD involving the Congress or others, the government did not take time to register an FIR, but when it came to CD involving Virender Kashyap, in which he has allegedly been shown taking Rs 5 lakh as bribe, there was no satisfactory action in the case,” Kaul Singh said.
