Ranchi Mayor absconding after issuance of warrant

Ranchi Mayor Rama Khalkho has been absconding after a local court issued an arrest warrant against her in connection with the cash-for-vote scandal in mayoral election, held on April 8.
Police said they have launched searches, but could not trace her.
The judicial magistrate court has issued the warrants following recovery of Rs 21.9 lakh from a city hotel on April 7 and a CCTV purportedly showed Khalkho, and others going inside the hotel that day.
The police have lodged an FIR naming Khalkho, Sudhir Kumar Sahu and a local Congress leader Niranjan Shah.
While Sahu and Shah were arrested and produced before the court on April 9, Khalkho was still absconding, the police said.

The State Election Commission has put the counting of the April 8 mayoral elections on hold, according to sources in the Commission.
Khalkho has recently joined the Congress party.