A Howrah district(west Bengal) court on Sunday ordered a 10-day police remand of the three Jharkhand Congress MLAs who were detained with cash a day ago from the district. The three MLAs – Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kachchap and Naman Bixal Kongari – were first taken for medical examination before being produced in a court. They were officially arrested hours ago following their overnight questioning.
Five people including three Congress MLAs from State who were arrested by Bengal police in Howrah with huge amounts of cash. The three MLAs who were arrested last night with cash are Congress Jamtara MLA Irfan Ansari, Khijri in Ranchi MLA Rajesh Kacchap, Kolebira MLA Naman Vixel Kongari.
“Five people including 3 MLAs from Jharkhand Congress who were nabbed with huge amounts of cash, have been arrested. All the five people will be presented in the court today” Swati Bhangalia, SP, Howrah Rural said to media.
Earlier, there were rumors that three Jharkhand MLAs Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kachhap and Naman Bixal Kongari, who were arrested in West Bengal, have been released. It was being said that all the MLAs had been released after giving full details of the money.
However, sources have now claimed that all three are still in police custody, and around 70 lakh rupees were recovered during the checking. Sources said that these three MLAs were allowed to go to their hotel. After which this rumor surfaced. According to the latest update, they were still in the custody of the police.
Meanwhile, in Ranchi the Congress has lodged a FIR against three MLAs. Bermo MLA Jaimangal Singh alias Anoop Singh and Congress president Rajesh Thakur on Sunday lodged a FIR at Argora police station.
Jaimangal has lodged an FIR against them for making attempts to allegedly topple Hemant Soren's government in Jharkhand which had come into power with a thumping majority.
Jaimangal in his FIR also alleged that he was offered gratification along with a ministerial berth to topple the present government which is an alliance between Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress, and the RJD.
An FIR under sections 120, 124A, 120B, 134 of the Indian Penal Code and 171B of Representation of People’s Act along with sections 8 and 9 of the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered at Argora police station in Ranchi on Sunday.
Also , the Congress has suspended three of its MLAs after a huge amount of cash was found in their vehicle. The party linked the recovery of cash to attempts to destabilise the JMM-Congress government in Jharkhand and claimed that the chief minister of a state had been directly contacting some of the MLAs.
Announcing the suspension of the three MLAs, Avinash Pande, AICC member in charge of Jharkhand, said that most of the MLAs are with the party, but those who are trying to weaken the legislature party… The party leadership has full information. The party will take action at the appropriate time. The Congress, which is a constituent of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led coalition in the state, also claimed that the government is stable. Pande further said that there is no threat to the government. The government is safe and stable… Leave aside some black sheep like these… the government is safe.
Congress has alleged that the BJP was trying to topple the JMM-led government in Jharkhand by offering Rs 10 crore to each MLA. It said it has lodged a police complaint against its three legislators arrested in West Bengal's Howrah.