In a swift move in cash for vote scam during the Ranchi municipal elections, the Ranchi police on Thursday filed the chargesheet against the two accused persons, Niranjan Sharma and his aide Sudheer Kumar Sahu.
The Special (Vigilance) court of ARK Sinha also granted the police three-day remand of former Mayor Rama Khalkho, also accused in the case. “The court has granted three days’ remand to the Ranchi police for Khalkho and a charge-sheet against two persons has also been filed in this connection,” said vigilance advocate Naresh Prasad.
According to police sources, it has clear cut evidence of the involvement of Niranjan Sharma and Sudheer Kumar Sahu in the cash for vote scandal, unearthed on April 7, a day ahead of the municipal elections in Ranchi. The police lodged an FIR against her and two others, including Niranjan Sharma and Sahu in cash-for-vote case on April 8.
“The charge-sheet has been filed in accordance of the charges slapped on the accused persons by the police in the FIR. According to the charge-sheet, police have all evidences of the involvement of the two accused persons- Niranjan Sharma and Sudheer Kumar Sahu in the case,” said junior special vigilance counsel Rajesh Kumar.
“Rs 21.9 lakh was collected to influence the voters by the Khalkho’s associates,” Kumar added. Investigation however, is still going on in the case, he said. Justifying the police action to book Rama Khalkho under provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, Kumar said that she was in-charge of Ranchi Mayor at the time of the seizure of Rs 21.9 lakh from the City Palace Hotel in Ranchi.
The police had prayed for three-day remand for Khalkho to interrogate her, accused in the case where Rs 21.9 lakh was seized by the Ranchi police from a hotel room on April 7 ahead of the municipal elections.
The money was supposed to be distributed among the Congress workers to influence the voters. Khalkho had joined the Congress just before the civic elections in the State. Khalkho surrendered before the vigilance court on June 4 after almost two months of hiding, followed by a warrant of arrest issued by a Ranchi court on April 9.