Congress MLAs suspended over conspiracy to topple Jharkhand govt, suspicion link with Assam CM: CID
The three Jharkhand MLAs were detained with approximately Rs 50 lakh on Tuesday, according to the West Bengal Crime Investigation Department (CID), who also claimed that they were “part of a conspiracy to overthrow their state government” and that they had “indirect ties” to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma through a powerful individual close to the BJP-led Centre.
Three Congress MLAs from Jharkhand — Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kachchap and Naman Bixal Kongari – were arrested in neighbouring West Bengal on Sunday after a huge amount of cash was seized from a car they were travelling in.
The CID raided the dealer’s office near the police headquarters in Lalbazar on Tuesday after suspecting that the money was organised by a local share market trader for the MLAs. They claimed to have found more than Rs 3 lakh in cash, 250 silver coins, and papers inside.
“There is no doubt that they (the arrested MLAs) were involved in a plot to overthrow the Jharkhand Government. However, we have a strong suspicion that they communicated with the Assam chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, via a central government ally. We know where their links are. Under the condition of anonymity, a top CID official told The Indian Express that this is a difficult economic offence.
The official claimed that the CID was now reviewing the phone logs of the three MLAs, but he would not give the identity of the intermediary between the MLAs and the Assam CM.
The Assam Chief Minister has already dismissed the accusations made against him and stated that many Congress leaders are in touch with him because they were “old friends” from his previous party.
