High-Level Probe Ordered After Cash Bundle Found on Congress MP's Rajya Sabha Seat

New Delhi: A high-level investigation has been ordered after a cash bundle was found on the Rajya Sabha seat of Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi. The high-level committee that will oversee the probe will include officials from security agencies, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, and senior MPs.
The vice president and the Rajya Sabha chairman, Jagdeep Dhankhar, said this morning in front of the MPs that this cash bundle - of ₹ 500 notes amounting to a total of ₹ 50,000 - was discovered after the House adjourned last evening. Mr Singhvi has clarified that he never heard of it suggesting bundle wasn't his.

Cameras set up inside the House of Parliament have been viewed through to identify how the money bag had reached the site.

This was found after an anti-sabotage check Thursday and upon information from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, who put the bag at 'lost and found'. And it reached Mr Dhankhar afterwards.

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"I want to place on record that during the routine anti-sabotage check of the chamber after the adjournment of the House yesterday. Apparently, a wad of currency notes was recovered by the security officials from seat number 222 presently allotted to Abhishek Manu Singhvi, elected from the state of Telangana," Mr Dhankhar informed the MPs when the House resumed this morning.

Security officials conduct anti-sabotage checks daily after parliament sessions, where most MPs are found to have left items behind. These are then deposited at the 'lost and found' counter in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.

Mr Dhankhar's statement stirred a storm on both treasury and opposition benches, whereupon Mr Singhvi presented his account of how he spent the day at parliament.

"Heard of it first time now. Never heard of it till now! I carry one 500 rs note when I go to RS. First time heard of it. I reached inside house at 12:57 pm and house rose at 1 pm then I sat in canteen till 1:30 pm then I left parl (sic)," said the Congress leader in an online post.

Stating that he had spent just three minutes in the House yesterday, and another 30 minutes in the canteen, he expressed surprise that anyone could leave anything on the seats in the Parliament.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, formerly with the Congress, supported the demand for an inquiry.
"The opposition is demanding an investigation. Whether you get the FBI, or take the help of the Interpol. There is 24-hour CCTV coverage of the entire premise - all of these must be probed.".

#WATCH | Delhi: On cash apparently recovered from Rajya Sabha seat allotted to Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi says, "It has become the agenda of the govt to disturb the parliament... They are making such allegations to deviate from the… pic.twitter.com/9PsqYCySR1 — ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2024