Congress MLAs of Jharkhand were apprehended in Bengal after being caught with Rupees 49 lakh in cash. Police said that cash worth Rs 49 lakh has been confiscated from Rajesh Kachhap, Naman Vixel Kongari, and Irfan Ansari. An aide and driver of the Jharkhand MLAs have also been in custody by police.
On Sunday Howrah police apprehended three Congress MLAs of Jharkhand Naman Vixel Kongari, Irfan Ansari, and Rajesh Kachhap, who were taken in custody after a huge amount of cash was retrieved from their vehicle in West Bengal on Saturday, officials said.
Police said the cash retrieved is Rupees 49 lakh, and an associate and a driver have also been apprehended.
Swati Bhangalia (Howrah Superintendent of Police) notified the news media that the circumstances were being probed.
“This is an enormous quantity of cash. Where did they get the money from as part of the probe?
For now, five people including MLAs have been apprehended as they failed to give a proper clarification for the money,” SP said.
After a long questioning that lasted over 24 hours, all five people were taken into custody.
The congress MLAs of Jharkhand were on their way from Jamtara in Jharkhand to East Midnapore in the West Bengal region when the police officers blocked his way of the car in Howrah city.
According to the sources, during the probe, they found that the MLA had gone to Guwahati, Assam on Friday and come back on Saturday.
However, when officers asked about the motive of his visit, the officials said that they could not give a cause of explanation.
According to the police source, the officer said
Officers said they got information that the group of people was traveling in a vehicle with an enormous quantity of money on Saturday.
Officials said that after being apprehended, they assert that they were thinking of buying sarees from Barabazar Kolkata, a popular West Bengal market where sarees are convenient to buy at low-price rates for a tribal fete in Jharkhand.
An instance has been registered under the Indian Penal Code and sections 171E (bribery), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and section 8/9 have gone.
The apprehension of MLAs has also started a political game in West Bengal. Sukanta Majumdar (Bharatiya Janata Party state president) said,
“The way Trinamool Congress is responding, it seems that it was Trinamool Congress’s cash which they try to snatch with the help of Congress and Sonia Gandhi.”
State General Secretary and Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh condemned Majumdar’s statement.
“Mazumdar is battling with an identity crisis. Regarding the recovery of this money, a person who can better explain is Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who appears to be an expert in cash recovery,
Ghosh said in a clarion call to Choudhary’s earlier statements relating to the recovery of cash in the SSC scam. Said in context.
“There is also a possibility that this money was used to destabilize the Jharkhand government as well.
Bermo MLA lodged a complaint with the police
Meanwhile, the MLA of Congress from Bermo in Jharkhand (Jaimangal Singh) lodged a complaint with charge in the Agora police station Ranchi, indicating the apprehended MLAs of trying to pay off.
Singh said, “I want to complain about the offer of satisfaction being given to me to topple the present government of JMM and Congress, which came to power with a thumping majority…” crore for each MLA.
“Rajesh Kachhap and Irfan Ansari want me to come to Kolkata and then take me to Guwahati where, according to them, he will introduce me to Himanta Biswa Sarma, who will assure me a certain ministerial post besides money,” read the complaint.
