Arrested BJP leader had bought new cash with old currency

HT, 07 December 2016, Kolkata:At a time when the country is reeling under an acute cash crisis, BJP leader Manish Sharma – who was arrested with Rs 33 lakh cash in Rs 2,000 denominations – has found a new technique to transfer old notes in his possession.

According to sleuths of the Special Task Force (STF), Sharma bought new notes from different persons for commission.

“If he is getting new notes worth Rs 10,000, he would pay Rs 12,000, all in old notes. He need not have to deposit his old notes in his bank account. The sellers have withdrawn the new currency notes from the bank. So, there is no harm if they again deposit the old notes in their bank account,” said a STF officer.

On Tuesday, STF arrested Manish Sharma – who contested the last Assembly polls from Ranigunj constituency and six of his associates. Manish and his friends, Lokesh Singh, Krishnamurari Koyal and Rajesh Jha were arrested when their car was intercepted near Bidhan Sishu Udyan. Driver Sayan Majumder has also been arrested.

Based on their interrogation, STF arrested Partha Chatterjee and Subham Bhowmick from a posh apartment in Baguiati.

While Jha is a coal mafia don, Singh has a transport business. Koyal and Partha are promoters. Subham Bhowmick is a private security guard of Partha. All are residents of Durgapur, except Koyal – who stays in a complex off EM Bypass. The police are now trying to verify their claims and have also written to the RBI and IT department to check with account holders who Manish claimed to have sold cash.

“Out of the Rs 33 lakh, Rs 2 lakh notes are of the same series. It means that whoever has withdrawn the money have ties with senior bank officials,” said a STF official.

Investigations revealed that Manish and his associates were in the city with a huge cache of cash primarily to buy arms and ammunitions. They were a carrying some arms.