New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANS) A Delhi court Tuesday reserved till Sep 29 its order on the bail plea of Sohail Hindustani, middleman and former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker, arrested in the cash-for-votes scam that rocked parliament during a trust vote in 2008.

Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal fixed the matter for order Sep 29 after hearing an over one-hour argument by the lawyer of Hindustani, who was arrested July 20.

Opposing the allegations that Hindustani was the initiator of the scam, his counsel said he was only helping in exposing the horse trading in parliament.

On July 22, 2008, three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members of the Lok Sabha waved wads of currency notes inside the house ahead of a trust vote, alleging they were given the money to vote in favour of the Manmohan Singh government.

"The prosecution is saying that I was with the three BJP MPs but for what purpose they don't know...'sansad ke kharid farok ke kaam ko ujagar karne ke liye mai wahan tha'...if this is illegal, I should not get bail," counsel told the court.

He said how could Hindustani be the main conspirator when he never took or gave bribe to anyone.

"Neither I offered money nor instigated anyone to take it. Not a single penny was received by me in the entire money transactions," Hindustani said.

He said how could there be a conspiracy when all the camera persons were in the loop.

"The camera persons knew everything...we roped everyone and if it was a conspiracy, my lord, it is hatched in secrecy not within cameras. It was known to each and every person as to what we were going to do...exposing horse trading," Hindustani's counsel said.

"It was a consensus decision that we have to go to the Le Meridien (hotel)," he said.

His submissions were opposed by Public Prosecutor Rajiv Mohan who said that in the CD, Hindustani had been clearly heard saying that he wanted to make money out of the list of vulnerable MPs.

"He was saying that he wanted to make money out of the list...as there would be horse trading on no-confidence motion," Rajiv Mohan said.

He added that in the CD he could be seen helping the MPs fill money in the bags.

Hindustani interrupted and said: "I accept that I was present there when the money was given but there is no evidence that I was moving with any such list."

On this, the judge asked counsel: "The money was there, the three BJP MPs were there, but how do you explain your presence there?"

"There is no evidence with the CBI to say that I had knowledge that the money was being given for doing an illegal act," said Hindustani.

Pressing for his bail, Hindustani said he was the only bread winner of his family and was not an influential man who could tamper with the evidence or influence witnesses if freed on bail.