Jharkhand Congress MLAs Cash Seizure: WB CID Teams 'Detained' by Delhi Police

West Bengal Police had found a huge amount of cash in the vehicle of three Jharkhand Congress MLAs on 30 July.

West Bengal police personnel detained three Jharkhand Congress MLAs after a huge amount of cash was found in their vehicle on Saturday, 30 July, in Howrah district.

(Photo: PTI)

The West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Wednesday, 3 August, alleged that two of its teams were restricted by the local police in New Delhi from probing the cash seizure involving three Jharkhand MLAs.

A senior officer from West Bengal CID claimed that their officers were detained by the Delhi Police when they were conducting a raid at a property belonging to an accused, a "close associate" of the three arrested MLAs, in the national capital.

"On Wednesday morning, a team of West Bengal CID officers was restrained by Delhi Police from carrying out a search operation at a property of an accused person closely associated with one of the MLAs arrested in the cash seizure case despite having a court warrant," the officer told news agency PTI.

A senior CID officer further added that a total of four CID officers – an inspector and ASI each and two SIs – were detained and restrained from conducting searches at the accused's residence under South Campus Police Station area in New Delhi, despite having a court warrant.

The Delhi Police had alleged that "legal discrepancies were noticed during execution" of the search warrant by the West Bengal Police.

"Initially, Delhi Police provided all necessary assistance to WB Police for the execution of the search warrant. However, legal discrepancies were noticed during execution of the same. Accordingly, legal opinion was sought which revealed that the warrant is not executable. Hence, the same was conveyed to WB Police," Deputy Commissioner of Police (southwest) Manoj C said.

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition by the three incarcerated Jharkhand MLAs to hand over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The court, instead, asked the CID to continue their investigation in a fair and unbiased manner.

Background

The West Bengal Police on Sunday, 31 July, arrested three Congress MLAs after they found the trio with huge amounts of cash in the car.

The three MLAs are Irfan Ansari, MLA from Jamtara, Rajesh Kachhap, MLA from Khijri, and Naman Bixal, MLA from Kolebira. They were suspended from the Congress party on the same day.

Hours after their arrest, a zero FIR was filed against the three suspended MLAs in Ranchi, Jharkhand, after Jaimangal alleged that he was offered money by the trio to topple the government.

Jaimangal submitted a complaint in Jharkhand's Ranchi.

"In the complaint, Jaimangal claims that he didn't want to participate in this "unconstitutional, illegal and downright criminal" activity, and hence, he had filed the complaint.

He requested that action be taken against those trying to topple the Jharkhand government and that this criminal activity be stopped.

In the letter, Jaimangal also alleged that he had met CM Biswa Sarma once, and was also assured a "ministerial berth." He says that Irfan Ansari, who is one of the three suspended MLAs, had already been promised the health ministry in the new government.

Meanwhile, the Assam CM told the press, "Even topmost persons of Congress keep in touch with me. We don't talk about politics but being in a party for over 22 years, we keep in touch. I don't know why an FIR was filed on this."

He also claims that Ansari assured him that Biswa Sarma "is doing it with the blessings of top shots of BJP" from Delhi.