The CBI, probing the alleged horsetrading charges in the countermanded March 30 Jharkhand Rajya Sabha polls, on Wednesday conducted searches at the premises of an industrialist, two MLAs and relatives of three other legislators. The CBI officials conducted searches at 18 places in Delhi, Gurgaon, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi, Dumka and Godda in connection with the case.
According to sources, the agency sleuths have recovered vouchers worth over `1 crore from the Gurgaon-based office of the industrialist. “The agency officials have also seized fixed deposits bonds of `40 lakhs from the house of the father of a JMM MLA in Bhubaneswar during searches,” sources said. The agency officials also raided the premises of the son-in-law of another industrialist at Jharsuguda in Orissa, sources added.
“A Kolkata-based and a Jamshedpur-based industrialist were two Independent candidates who had contested the scrapped RS elections,” sources said. The agency officials also conducted searches at the premises of a former MP’s son in Jharkhand.
Sources further said, “The residential premises of two Independent MLAs were also searched in Ranchi. Besides, relatives of two other MLAs were also searched.” CBI director A.P. Singh had expressed optimism that the probe will be completed within six months.