New Delhi: Lieutenant Governor of Delhi VK Saxena on Tuesday approved the prosecution of Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Model Town Akhilesh Pati Tripathi in a bribe case. VK Saxena also sent the request of the Vigilance Department to the Delhi Assembly Speaker, Ram Niwas Goel. The AAP MLA is accused of demanding a bribe of Rs 90 lakhs in lieu of giving an AAP ticket to a woman candidate during the MCD elections.
In last year's MCD elections, the woman's husband had lodged a complaint for demanding a bribe in lieu of getting an AAP ticket to contest the elections. Acting on a complaint lodged by the woman's husband, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered a case against Tripathi and his acquaintances under the Prevention of Corruption Act in November.
"The Lt Governor has referred the request of the Vigilance Directorate to prosecute AAP MLA Akhilesh Pati Tripathi to the Speaker of Delhi Assembly, Ram Niwas Goel," an official at the L-G Office said. According to sources, three people, including a relative of the MLA, were arrested on November 16 in the matter.
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The MLA's personal assistant was also arrested from the complainant's residence where he had allegedly gone to return the "bribe money", sources said. "The Vigilance Directorate has found that the evidence -- both human and technical -- strongly indicated serious complicity of the MLA and other persons in the case," sources said. While referring the matter to Goel, he said that the Speaker is the competent authority to grant prosecution sanction in the case as the accused is a sitting MLA. (With PTI Inputs)
