Ashish Sharma, an Independent MLA appears before the SIT

Shimla, Mar 28 Ashish Sharma, an Independent MLA of Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Friday appeared before the SIT probing the alleged horse-trading in the Rajya Sabha election on February 27 and got his statement recorded before the investigation officer Boileauganj.
FIR was lodged against Ashish Sharma and Rakesh Sharma on the complaint of Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sanjay Awasthi and Congress MLA Bhuvnaser Gaur.
They were accused of hatching a conspiracy to topple the majority Congress government making arrangements for the stay of MLAs in star hotels and helping in taking the rebel MLAs by helicopter.
The duo was granted anticipatory bail by the Himachal Pradesh High Court this month and they were directed to appear before the SIT investigating the case.
According to the Information Officer of the case, Sharma appeared before the police SIT and recorded his statement though SIT did not serve any investigation attendance warrant to Sharma who turned up at Police Station West Shimla along with his counsel and CRPF security on Friday afternoon.
Police told the accused MLA that he would be served a summon to appear before the investigating team at the appropriate time along with another accused Rakesh Sharma to give their statements.
ASP Navdeep Singh is heading the SIT to investigate the case of alleged horse-trading in the Rajyasabha election in which the BJP candidate secured 34 votes due to cross-voting by six Congress MLAs and three Independents.
Soon after the RS polling nine MLAs remained absent from the state for at least one month and they were provided CRPF security allegedly by the Central government.
Police are trying to find a money trail as complaints alleged that a huge kickback to nine MLAs and others to influence the election results in favour of the BJP. BJP having 25 members in the assembly succeeded in defecting nine votes leading to the defeat of the Congress candidate despite the ruling party having a majority in the state legislature.
The Father of rebel Congress MLA Rakesh Sharma and the independent MLA have been accused of influencing the Rajya Sabha elections unfairly. The complainants have accused both of them of buying and selling votes, bribery, and money transactions.