The CBI on Thursday, conducted search operations at the houses of nine legislators along with three close aides of the accused MlAs and MPs of the state in connection with the cash-for-vote scam of 2010 Rajaya Sabha polls. As many as 40 teams were involved in the searches which were conducted on the 22 locations all over the state in Ranchi, Chatra, Giridih, Hazaribagh, Koderma, Jamshedpur and Godda districts.
Sources in the CBI revealed that the raids were conducted at the houses of MlA Vishnu Bhaiya of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha at Ranchi, Suresh Paswan of RJD at Ranchi, Sanjay Yadav of RJD at Godda, Saurabh Narayan Singh of Congress at Hazaribagh, Annapurna Devi of RJD at Koderma and Chatra and Ranchi residences of
Chatra MlA from RJD Janardan Paswan.
“A thorough search were also conducted at the houses of Tilak Ajmani, Pawan Singh and others who were associated to one politician or other accused in the 2010 horse trading scam,” said the official requesting anonymity. Rajya Sabha MP KD Singh’s close aide Mukesh Rai’s house at Jamshedpur was also searched by the CBI sleuths and seized a laptop and a hard disk.
“Yes we have seized a laptop and a hard disk for his role during 2010 Rajya Sabha elections. We will scan the content and then only come to some conclusion,” said an official.
The cash-for-vote case of 2010 was referred to the CBI, which was earlier being investigated by the state vigilance bureau, following a Jharkhand High Court directive while hearing a PIl filed by an anti-corruption activist Durga Oraon.
The team from Ranchi conducted raids at the quarter on Road Number 8 which is in the name of Rajesh Rai, a Tata Motors employee and younger brother of Mukesh Rai. The CBI team however, remained tight lipped over the investigation.
Meanwhile, Mukesh Rai denying any involvement in the scam said that he has nothing to hide and will cooperate with CBI in their investigations into the case. “I have no nothing to hide and will cooperate. I have no association with KD Singh since 2011 and have no connection with the scam,” said Rai.
Mukesh Rai used to be the local representative of Alchemist Group chairman K D Singh in 2010. K.D. Singh and Dheeraj Sahu were elected on JMM and Congress tickets respectively while Ajay Maroo, fielded by BJP had lost in the 2010 election. The 2010 Rajya Sabha horse trading case, which is presently under the scanner of Jharkhand High Court which has earlier expressed displeasure over the slow pace of investigations into the case.
The CBI is also investigating the 2012 Rajya Sabha cash-for-vote case, which was countermanded after an amount of Rs.2.5 crore was recovered from a vehicle allegedly belonging to an Independent candidate.
A TV News channel aired videos of six MlAs of the state negotiating for money to vote in favour of a particular candidate soon after the polls in the year 2010. Six MlAs of different parties were shown expressing willingness to vote for a particular candidate in return of monetary gains.
After much hue and cry, an FIR was lodged, and the state vigilance bureau began investigations, which was later handed over to the CBI.