The Locked-Up Politicians

Its jail time for Amar Singh, the politician who always enjoyed the limelight for various reasons from his close bonds with Ambanis and Bachchans to the cash-for-votes scam that questioned the value of democracy. He is the latest one in the band of politicians spending days counting the bars at the Tihar jail. The high profile jail has felt the presence of many big shots lately including 2G-scam accused A Raja and Kanimozhi as well as former CWG chairman Suresh Kalmadi. Here is a list of top politicians who are in jail for some of the recent scams that rocked the Indian politics.

Amar Singh

The political heavyweight from Uttar Pradesh has been a prominent voice in the Indian parliament over a decade now. Beyond politics, he has a special affection for Bollywood where he called its Godfather Amitabh Bachchan his brother and was linked to many actresses including Jaya Prada. He was often seen in the company of Bollywood stars and corporate honchos. In a leaked tape that Singh claimed is bogus, his close friend and Chairperson of Reliance ADAG Anil Ambani allegedly offered him 20-25 crore to fix a deal. He was quick in making friends and foes in politics and on many occasions, his political friends turned to be bitter rivals and vice versa. In a major setback, Singh was charge sheeted in the ash-for-votes scandal in 2008. It was alleged that he conspired and masterminded the scam when the UPA government was facing a floor test in Parliament after the Left Front pulled off from the collision due to difference over the U.S.-India nuclear deal. The day has come now for Amar Singh as the Special judge rejected his interim bail plea and sent him to judicial custody in Tihar jail.

A Raja

Said to be the mother of all scams, 2G spectrum scandal had A Raja at its center from the beginning. The whole deal of issuing 1232 2G spectrum licenses to 85 companies at a price set in the year 2001 by the UPA alliance was in the shadow of doubt from its beginning. The CAG report on the scam reveals that it caused a loss of 1.76-lakh crore to the exchequer. The report which termed allocation deal as arbitrary, unfair and inequitable held the then telecom minister Raja responsible for the sale of 2G spectrum and the huge revenue loss. It was revealed that the minster had personally signed and approved the majority of the questionable allocations. Raja was arrested on February 2, 2011 and later sent to Tihar Jail for judicial custody. CBI and Enforcement Directorate estimate that Raja could have made as much as 3,000 crore from the alleged bribes.

M. K. Kanimozhi

Out of his three fives and six children, Kanimozhi has been the favorite child of DMK Chief M Karunanidhi and has been the urban face of the party. Basically a poet and journalist, her political career that began in 2007 after being elected to the Rajya Sabha had taken a slow and steady course. It was, of course, a transition period from what is labeled as her father’s literary legacy to his political legacy. Her political future plunged into darkness ever since the 2G scam was out to the public. CBI charge sheeted Kanimozhi in the historical corruption scandal for her role in accepting 214-crore kickback for Kalaignar TV in which she owns a 20 percent stake. She was arrested and sent to Tihar Prisons on 20 May, 2011 after her bail plea was rejected.

Suresh Kalmadi

The fact that Suresh Kalmadi enjoyed the chair of the Presidents of the Indian Olympic Association for 16 years, is more than sufficient to explain his stranglehold in the top levels. He was invited by Sanjay Gandhi to join the Congress party when he was running a fast food shop after a premature discharge from the Indian Air Force. Over the years, Kalmadi become a prominent personality in India's political and sporting arenas, so did controversies never left him. From the inefficient management of IOA to the recent CWG scam, he has always been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. The 2010 Commonwealth Games was a decisive event in his life as it granted him jail for the alleged mismanagement of funds. Grave financial misappropriations in awarding contracts related to CWG have reportedly caused 230 crore loss to the national exchequer. The business-turned-politician was arrested on April 25, 2011 and is spending his days at the Tihar jail.