HC misses CBI probe plea by arrested J'khand MLAs

High Court dismissed prayer of the three Jharkhand Congress MLAs,

MP | 5 Aug 2022 | Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday dismissed a prayer by the three Jharkhand Congress MLAs, arrested in the cash haul case, for transfer of the investigation to the CBI. Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya dismissed the petition seeking transfer of the case to the CBI or any other central agency, observing that the accused in a case cannot choose the investigating agency. 

The three Congress MLAs from Jharkhand — Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kachchap and Naman Bixal Kongari — were arrested by the West Bengal Police after over Rs 49 lakh in cash was seized from their SUV in Howrah on July 31. The West Bengal CID took over the investigation from the Howrah Rural Police. 

Reportedly the accused MLAs were given another Rs 75 lakh. The money was allegedly sent to the MLAs by a share trader Mahendra Agarwal, whose office the CID had raided. Agarwal was also grilled at length by the CID sleuths on Wednesday. He was again summoned to Bhabani Bhaban on Thursday. Agarwal reportedly claimed that the money was not his. CID officials suspect that Agarwal has a connection with political leaders in Assam. 

Pronouncing the order, the court said that since the seizure of cash and arrests were made in Howrah district of West Bengal, the state CID is entitled to probe the case. Also Read - Soon, sensitisation prog for nursing staff at maternity homes in rural areas 

The MLAs had claimed that the case allegedly involves other states also and as such the West Bengal Police cannot probe it. A prayer for the stay on the investigation by the CID was also made before the court, which was not allowed. 

Justice Bhattacharya directed that the investigation by the CID be concluded at the earliest in an unbiased and fair manner. It may be mentioned that two teams of the CID were obstructed from conducting a raid in Delhi and collecting CCTV footage of Guwahati Airport by the local police citing 'technical reasons'. 

To resolve the matter, senior officials of the state police had to intervene and some of them flew to Delhi as well. However, in both the incidents, the respective state police authorities claimed they had cooperated with the Bengal CID teams. 

http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/hc-dismisses-cbi-probe-plea-by-arrested-jkhand-mlas-488480