New Delhi, Sep 15 - Declining to stay the proceedings against journalist Anirudh Bahal, who conducted a sting operation in the 2005 cash-for-query scam, the Delhi High Court exempted him from appearing in the case till further orders.

Justice M.C. Garg granted exemption to Bahal from appearing before the trial court that had issued summons against him and posted the matter for Jan 28.

The court was hearing Bahal's plea that the police had wrongly included his name in the chargesheet along with those of 11 former MPs for allegedly taking money to ask questions in parliament.

Anirudh Bahal, editor-in-Chief of web portal Cobra Post, submitted that he had conducted a sting operation against the parliament members and he should have been made a witness in the case and not the accused.

Delhi Police had chargesheeted 11 former MPs for misusing their office when they were caught on camera seeking money during a sting operation in 2005.