CBI files chargesheet against horse trading case in RS poll

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed chargesheet against six persons including sitting Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MLA also the daughter-in-law of JMM supremo Shibu Soren, Sita Soren in the Rajya Sabha polls in Jharkhand last year.

According to CBI chargesheet the MLA (Sita Soren) had allegedly accepted money from one of the candidates to vote in his favour at the time of biennial election in 2012. Besides, the MLA, the other accused against whom the chargesheet was filed in the special CBI court of R K Chaudhary are R K Agarwal and Pawan Kumar Dhoot, the two candidates and their associates.

The Election Commission had countermanded the election after the police and income tax department seized Rs 2.15 crore cash from a car at Namkum , near the state capital just a few hours before the polling started on March 30 last year. The car belonged to one of the close aides of a candidate.

It may be mentioned that the Jharkhand Assembly Speaker, C P Singh had sanctioned prosecution of some sitting MLAs in the said horse trading case.

Meanwhile, former Ranchi Mayor, Rama Khalkho who was evading arrest for nearly two months has surrendered at a vigilance court. The court has sent her to a 14-day judicial court. The former Mayor had been absconding ever since a local court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against her for allegedly trying to influence voters with money on the eve of Ranchi municipal elections in the first week of April.

The state election commission had cancelled the poll after the scam was detected. The former Mayor (Khalkho) has been charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Two persons, close to Congress leader and former Union minister, Subodh Kant Sahay were also arrested in the case.