JD(U) suspends Rajya Sabha MP involved in LTC scam

New Delhi: The JD(U) on Monday suspended its Rajya Sabha MP Anil Sahani, charge-sheeted by CBI in the LTC scam recently, from its parliamentary party after it found his explanation to a show cause notice "unsatisfactory".

"The party had given Sahani show cause notice on April 16 after Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari gave the sanction to prosecute him in the case. Sahani gave explanation which could not satisfy either Ansari or the JD(U) leadership.

"Nitish Kumar's party has always had zero tolerance towards corruption. Hence, we have decided to suspend Sahani from the membership of JD(U) parliamentary party," said party general secretary K C Tyagi told PTI.

Days after Ansari gave sanction to prosecute Sahani, the party had issued a show cause notice asking him to explain his conduct before former JD(U) President Sharad Yadav, who is leader of the party in Rajya Sabha, within a week. Sahani had however denied the charges.

CBI had filed a charge sheet against Sahani alleging that he, in collusion with other persons, used forged e-tickets and fake boarding passes to defraud Rajya Sabha to the tune of Rs 23.71 lakh as travel and dearness allowance reimbursement without undertaking actual journey.

Sahani, a second time MP from Bihar, had claimed that it was a "political conspiracy" by BJP government to malign him.

All Parliamentarians, both from Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, get 34 free air tickets a year for themselves, their family members and associates for domestic travel.