Cash-for-vote scam: Amar Singh's aide Sanjeev Saxena denied bail

Sanjeev Saxena, an accused in 2008 cash-for-vote scam, was today refused bail by a Delhi court which said he had "links" with co-accused and Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh and played the role of a facilitator in the case.

"From the material available on record, it prima facie appears that the accused (Saxena) had links with Amar Singh and there is grave suspicion that he played a role of a facilitator," Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal said.

Saxena, a former aide of Singh, is in Tihar Jail under judicial custody following his arrest on July 17 in the case.

The court dismissed the bail plea taking into account that the MPs were allegedly bribed in this case to subvert the constitutional and parliamentary norms. "The incident dated July 22, 2008, when currency notes of Rs1 crore were laid on the table of the Lok Sabha alleging that the MPs had been bribed to subvert the constitutional and parliamentary norms.

"Keeping in view the nature and gravity of the case in which the present application for grant of regular bail has been moved, I do not deem it fit to grant bail to the accused," the judge said.

Saxena had, in the bail plea filed on August 5, said he was arrested on false allegations. He had denied he ever worked for Amar Singh as his personal secretary as alleged by the prosecution.