New Delhi, Dec. 18: The inquiry committee constituted to probe the sting operation which showed MPs accepting bribes for raising questions in Parliament hopes to complete its investigations by 4 pm on December 21.

“This is the time limit we have been allotted. Hopefully, we will be able to complete our inquiries by then. There is a fair amount that has been done already,” said senior Congress MP Pawan Kumar Bansal, who heads the committee.

Bansal said the MPs involved in the scandal have appeared before the committee. “They have given their statements. We have cross-checked certain details from them,” he said.

Those who appeared before the committee today were Y.G. Mahajan, Suresh Chandel, Pradeep Gandhi and Chandra Pratap Singh (all BJP), Raja Ram Pal and Lal Chandra Kol (both Bahujan Samaj Party) and Ramsewak Singh (Congress).

Former Union minister M.K. Anna Patil of the BJP, Narendra Kushwaha of the BSP and Manoj Kumar of the Rashtriya Janata Dal had appeared yesterday.

Bansal declined to reveal what individual members said in their depositions before the committee.

He, however, said BJP’s Chandel had asked for some more time to appear before the committee. Chandel also wanted to be accompanied by a lawyer. The committee, however, turned down his request.

Journalist Aniruddha Bahal and his two colleagues at cobrapost.com, the news portal that carried out the sting operation, were also summoned and heard by the committee yesterday. “They have given their statements as well,” said Bansal.

He said no other person besides those already heard is going to be summoned.

The inquiry committee will meet tomorrow to go through and discuss the evidence collected.

“We will have further deliberations tomorrow. Hopefully, we will be able to finish our work well in time,” said Bansal.