After the arrest of AAP MLA Akhilesh Pati Tripathi’s brother-in-law Om Singh and others for selling tickets for MCD elections for ₹90 lakh, Delhi deputy chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, Manish Sisodia gave a bizarre excuse claiming that the arrest by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) “prove” that AAP does not sell tickets.
“Tickets are not sold in AAP, even if someone pays for it and someone else takes it. This is what this series of events has demonstrated. Someone paid for a ticket and someone took it, but none were actually sold, proving that tickets are not sold in AAP, I demand an unbiased investigation into the matter” Manish Sisodia told the media on Wednesday (November 16).
Tickets are not sold in AAP. Someone paid money for a ticket & money was taken too but ticket was not sold, it makes it clear that no tickets are sold in AAP. I want an unbiased investigation in the matter: AAP Leader & Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia pic.twitter.com/JsIZvwiUlF
— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) November 16, 2022
Earlier today (November 16), the ACB arrested AAP Model Town MLA Akhilesh Pati Tripathi’s brother-in-law Om Singh, Tripathi’s Personal Assistant (PA) Shiv Shankar Pandey alias Vishal Pandey, and Prince Raghuvanshi on the accusation of accepting bribes for Municipal Election tickets in Delhi.
They were arrested under relevant sections 7 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and section 171 (E) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). According to reports, cash worth Rs 33 lakh was recovered from their possession.
But Sisodia is claiming AAP does not sell tickets because the person from whom money was taken in the promise of giving ticket was actually not allotted the ticket by the party. Om Singh and his aides were arrested after one Gopal Khari had filed a complaint that while they had taken ₹45 lakh promising ticket to his wife for the Municipal Elections in Delhi, her name didn’t feature in the list of candidates released by AAP on November 12.
Notably, Gopal Khari in his complaint to the Additional CP alleged that on November 9, he went to AAP MLA Akhilesh Tripathi’s office seeking a ticket for his wife for the upcoming MCD elections. Khari claimed that he was told that he needs to pay Rs 90 lakh for the ticket. Gopal claimed that he gave Rs 20 lakh to MLA Rajesh Gupta and after that gave Rs 35 lakh to MLA Akhilesh Tripathi. The balance ₹35 crore was to be paid after his wife gets the ticket.
However, when the list of candidates was released by AAP on November 12, Gopal Khari’s wife’s name was not on the list. Reportedly, accused Om Singh told Gopal to take his money back and assured him that his wife will the ticket next time. Gopal alleged that he was “blackmailed in the name of giving a ticket.”
The Anti-Corruption Bureau team set up a trap at Khari’s house and caught the accused trio red-handed. According to the police, the accused came to return the bribe on behalf of Model Town AAP MLA Akhilesh Pati Tripathi.
In its statement, ACB stated that the accused persons were arrested based on the complaint of one Gopal Khari, a resident of Warn No 69, Kamla Nagar. ACB said, “Anti-Corruption Branch, GNCT of Delhi arrested one Om Singh R/o H-3, First Floor, Type-V, Model Town, Delhi (official residence of MLA Model Town) reportedly brother-in-law of Sh. Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, MLA/Model Town, AAP, and his associates, namely Shiv Shankar Pandey, a.k.a. Vishal Pandey, PA of Sh. Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, MLA/Model Town, AAP and Prince Raghuvanshi U/s 7/13 of POC Act and 171 (E) of IPC, i.e. for accepting a bribe for giving an AAP ticket of MCD election to Ms Shobha Khari wife of the complainant Sh. Gopal Khari for Ward No. 69, Kamla Nagar.”
