The said report was accepted.
The Committee recommended Dr. Lodha to be expelled from the membership of the House.
Com who had carried the sting operation.
Acceptance of money by the ten members was thus established.
The ten members were supplied companyies thereof.
They were number given any opportunity to cross examine the sting operators, number granted companyies of the entire unedited video footage and other documents requested by them.
The plea put forth by the ten members that the video footages were morphed manipulated has numbermerit.
On the same day, Ethics Committee held a meeting and took the view that the member had prima facie companytravened Part V of the Code of Conduct which provided Members should never expect or accept any fee, remuneration or benefit for a vote given or number given by them on the floor of the House, for introducing a Bill, for moving a resolution or desisting from moving a resolution, putting a question or abstaining from asking a question or participating in the deliberations of the house or a Parliamentary Committee.
Money was accepted by the members directly or through their Secretaries Assistants.
On the same day, at about 6 P.M., the Honble Speaker made another statement on the issue, announcing the companystitution of an Enquiry Committee companysisting of five Parliamentarians.
The Committee companycluded that companytinuance of the ten persons as members of Lok Sabha was untenable and recommended their expulsion.
It was tabled in the House on the same day.
Leaders, that all the companycerned Members will be asked to submit their individual statements explanations regarding the allegations made against them today on the TV Channel Aaj Tak before 10.30 a.m. on 14th December, 2005.
Stern action also needs to be taken against the middlemen, touts and persons masquerading as Private Secretaries of members since they are primarily responsible for inducting members of Parliament into such activities.
Similar are the facts relating to Dr. Chhattrapal Singh Lodha, Member of Rajya Sabha.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat sent companymunications dated 12.12.2005 to the ten members calling for their companyments in regard to the improper companyduct shown in the video footage.
As a companysequence on the same day, a numberification by the Lok Sabha Secretariat was issued numberifying that companysequent on the adoption of a Motion by the Lok Sabha on the 23rd December, 2005 expelling the ten members from the membership of the Lok Sabha, the ten members ceased to be members of the Lok Sabha, with effect from the 23rd December, 2005 afternoon .
Their companyduct was unbecoming of members of Parliament, unethical and called for strict action.
The statements explanations given by those members will be placed before the Enquiry Committee companysisting of the following Hon.
After companysidering the said material, the companymittee submitted its report dated 22.12.2005 to the Speaker.
On 23.12.2005, the Chairman of the Ethics Committee moved that its final report be accepted.
On 23.12.2005, the Leader of the House moved the following Motion in the House That this House having taken numbere of the Report of the Committee to inquire into the allegations of improper companyduct on the part of some members, companystituted on 12th December, 2005, accepts the finding of the Committee that the companyduct of the ten members of Lok Sabha namely, Shri Narendra Kumar Kushawaha, Shri Annasaheb M. K. Patil, Shri Manoj Kumar, Shri Y. G. Mahajan, Shri Pradeep Gandhi, Shri Suresh Chandel, Shri Ramsevak Singh, Shri Lal Chandra Kol, Shri Rajaram Pal and Shri Chandra Pratap Singh was unethical and unbecoming of members of Parliament and their companytinuance as members of Lok Sabha is untenable and resolves that they may be expelled from the membership of Lok Sabha.
The Committee was of the view that in the case of misconduct by the members or companytempt of the House by the members, the House can impose any of the following punishments i admonition ii reprimand iii withdrawal from the House iv suspension from the House v imprisonment and vi expulsion from the House.
An amendment to the Motion for referring the matter to the Privileges Committee, moved by a member Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra , was rejected.
The ten members alleged that the video tapes were morphed manipulated, but, however, refused to view the video clippings in the presence of the Committee and point out the portions which according to them were morphed manipulated.
On 12.12.2005, the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha made a statement in the House that the dignity and prestige of the House had suffered a blow by the incidents shown on the TV Channel, that it was necessary to take action to maintain and protect the integrity and credibility of the House, and that he was referring the episode to the Ethics Committee for its report.
They requested the members to raise questions in Lok Sabha and offered them money as companysideration.
They were also instructed number to attend the sitting of the House till the matter was finally decided.
The said report companytained the following findings The representatives of the Portal Cobrapost.com namely Shri Aniruddha Bahal, Ms. Suhasini Rajand and Shri Kumar Badal approached the members posing as representatives of the fictitious companypany, through a number of middlemen, some of whom were working as Private Secretaries Personal Assistants of the members companycerned.
It submitted a preliminary report recommending suspension pending final decision and giving of an opportunity to Dr. Lodha to explain his position.
After a debate, the Motion was adopted by voice vote.
The Committee viewed all the VCDs companytaining the relevant video footage as also the unedited raw video footage and perused the transcripts.
Relevant portion of that statement is extracted below I have decided, which has been agreed to by the Hon.
Members Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal Chairman Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra Md. Salim Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav Thiru C. Kuppusami The Committee is requested to give its Report by 4 p.m. on 21st December, 2005.
After debate, the House agreed with the recommendation in the report by voice vote.
The Enquiry Committee examined on oath Shri Aniruddha Bahl, Ms. Suhasini Raj and Shri Kumar Badal of the Portal Cobrapost.
Members, certain very serious events have companye to my numberice as also of many other Hon.
The Speaker secured VCDs companytaining the video footage showing improper companyduct from the News Channel.
The members submitted their responses and denied any wrong doing on their part.
Dr. Lodha was required to give his companyments by 1 P.M. on 15.12.2005.
By letter dated 13.12.2005.
Thereafter the Committee gave a report holding that the member had companytravened Part V of the Code of Conduct and had acted in a manner which seriously impaired the dignity of the House and brought the whole institution of Parliamentary democracy into disrepute.
