AAP worker in ACB net for selling Delhi MCD election ticket

New Delhi, Nov 16 The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested three persons, including a relative of AAP MLA Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, on charges of allegedly selling Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) ticket for Kamla Nagar Ward (No 69) for Rs 90 lakh.

Those arrested have been identified as Om Singh said to be the brother-in-law of AAP MLA Tripathi , and his associates Shiv Shankar Pandey alias Vishal Pandey, PA of Tripathi, and Prince Raghuvanshi.

They were placed under arrest under section 7/13 of POC Act and 171 (E) of IPC.

"The accused were arrested for accepting bribes for giving the AAP ticket of MCD election to Shobha Khari, wife of the complainant Gopal Khari, for Ward No. 69, Kamla Nagar," said Madhur Verma, the DCP ACB.

On November 14, the complainant Gopal Khari approached anti-corruption branch with the grievance that he was associated with Aam Aadmi Party as an active worker since 2014 and on November 9, he met Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, MLA, Model Town, AAP with the request to secure Councilor ticket from for his wife Shobha Khari.

The complainant further stated that Tripathi demanded a bribe of Rs 90 lakh for the same.

"Khari paid a bribe amount of Rs 35 lakhs to Tripathi and Rs 20 lakhs to Rajesh Gupta (MLA Wazirpur), at his instance. He assured Tripathi that the remaining 35 lakhs will be paid by him after getting the ticket. On November 12, Khari did not find his wife's name in the list of contesting councillors released by the party ticket as it was given to some other person.

"Thereafter, Om Singh contacted the complainant and assured him that the ticket will be given to him in the next elections. He also offered to return his money (bribe amount). Khari also submitted audio and video recordings of his alleged dealings during payment and return of the bribe amount," said the ACB official.

After receiving the complaint, the ACB formed a team of its elite officials to nab the accused. On the intervening night of November 15 and 16, the ACB team laid a trap at the residence of Khari where accused Singh and his associates Pandey and Raghuvanshi were trapped red-handed in the presence of independent witnesses when they came to return the bribe amount of Rs 33 lakhs out of total Rs 35 lakh.

"The bribe amount of Rs 33 lakh has been seized. Further investigation into the case is on," said the official.