Central probe agency the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to three suspended Congress MLAs – Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kachhap and Naman Vixal Kongari, in connection with the cash recovery case.
As per ED fresh summons, Ansari has been asked to appear before the ED’s zonal office in Ranchi on February 6, followed by Rajesh Kachhap on February 7 and Naman Vixal Kongadi on February 8 for questioning regarding the recovery of Rs 49 lakh from them by Kolkata Police on July 30 last year. Ansari is MLA from Jamtara, Rajesh Kachhap from Khijri and Kongari from Kolebira.
The three MLAs are trying to avoid questioning by Enforcement Directorate in the Kolkata cash recovery case as all of them skipped the summons issued to them asking to appear before the central investigation agency on three separate dates January 13, 16 and 17 respectively.
Kolebira MLA Naman Bixal Kongari, did not appear before the ED seeking two weeks’ time saying that he received the summons very late. Kongari’s counsel Chandrabhanu had made a submission that since his client received summon on January 14, it was quite difficult for him to appear before the investigation agencies in such a short period of time.
Similarly, on January 13, Jamtara MLA Irfan Ansari had also sought two weeks’ time on health grounds. The ED is investigating this case which was originally lodged by the Bengal police on the basis of a zero FIR lodged by Jharkhand Congress MLA Kumar Jaimangal alias Anoop Singh. ED had also already recorded the statement of MLA Kumar Jaimangal alias Anup Singh in the case on December 24.
Notably, Kumar Jaimangal had lodged FIR against the three Congress MLAs, who were caught by Kolkata police along with cash on July 31, alleging them of hatching conspiracy to topple the government in Jharkhand.
He had also alleged in his FIR that Irfan Ansari and Rajesh Kacchap wanted him to come to Kolkata along with them and take him to Guwahati, where they will make him meet Hemant Biswa Sarma, who will give him assurance of a definite ministerial berth apart from the money.
Kumar Jaimangal had alleged that each of the MLAs was offered Rs 10 crore along with a ministerial berth for a few of them to topple the government. Since he did not want to be a part of this unconstitutional, unethical criminal activity and hence, informed the police seeking action against the three MLAs for pressurizing him to come to Kolkata and accompany them to Guwahati.
Kolkata police had recovered the cash from the vehicle on which the three MLAs were travelling, a day after Congress MLA Anoop Singh registered a zero FIR with Argora police station in Ranchi alleging that the three MLAs had offered him Rs 10 crore and a ministerial berth for toppling the state government in Jharkhand. The ED also registered a case in this regard and started an investigation. ED has already questioned Anoop Singh for about ten hours. The information given by Anoop Singh to ED during the interrogation will be verified while interrogating the three MLAs.