As sanjeev Saxena, an alleged aide of Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh, denied any involvement in the cash-for-vote scam, CPI(M) member Mohammad Salim, a member of the special Lok Sabha committee headed by V Kishore Chandra Deo, on Monday demanded that he be put through a lie-detector test.

According to sources in the committee, which met for three hours, Salim’s demand was promptly endorsed by Vijay Kumar Malhotra of the BJP and Rajesh Verma of the BSP. Salim said Saxena’s contentions are contrary to what one can see on the video-tape. The sources said Saxena conceded that his son’s admission form submitted to a local college had been filled by him and the address as well as the telephone number stated in it were those of Amar Singh.

The issue would be discussed when the committee meets next, most likely on August 27.

The committee examined SP MP Reoti Raman Singh, who, according to the sources, admitted having gone to meet the three BJP MPs, but claimed that the issue under discussion was not the voting on the confidence motion but their admission to the SP. He said the amount mentioned in the tape was what one of the MPs said was necessary for running an SP unit once he switched sides.

Deo told The Indian Express that the committee had not taken any decision about summoning Amar Singh and Ahmed Patel, both members of the Rajya Sabha. The sources, however, said some members at the meeting contended that Amar Singh be called because one of the CDs with the probe panel was sourced by him. They said if the SP leader was not going to appear, there was no need to examine the CD. This matter too would be taken up at the next meeting.

... contd.