RS 'horse trading' accused's discharge petition dismissed

A special CBI court today dismissed a discharge petition of industrialist R K Agarwal, an accused in the 'horse trading' case lodged by the CBI after cancellation of the 2012 Rajya Sabha elections for two seats in Jharkhand.
Dismissing Agarwal's plea of getting him discharged from the case, the court of R K Choudhary fixed January 24 to frame charges.
The CBI has already filed chargesheet against Agarwal.
The March 30, 2012 Rajya Sabha election for two seats had been countermanded after the seizure of Rs 2.15 crore in cash from a car near Namkum on the outskirts of Ranchi on the same day.

The district police and the Income Tax department sleuths had alleged that the cash was being carried by a relative of Agarwal.
Agarwal was one of the independent candidates in the countermanded polls, which were later held afresh on May 3.
The CBI, which is also investigating the 2010 RS elections following allegations of horse trading, has raided the premises of several sitting and former MLAs and business men in connection with the two cases.