"Rajesh Kachchap and Naman Bixal Kongari were asking me to come to Kolkata and were offering money, promising ₹10 crore per MLA. Ifran Ansari and Rajesh Kachchap wanted to take me to Guwahati from Kolkata where according to them a meeting was fixed with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma," Jaimangal claimed.
However, responding to Singh's allegations, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said “Even topmost persons of Congress keep in touch with me. We don't talk about politics but being in a party for over 22 years, we keep in touch. I don't know why FIR was filed on this"
Earlier in the day, MLAs were arrested from West Bengal's Howrah district after a huge amount of cash was recovered from their vehicle. An amount of ₹49 lakh in cash was recovered from their SUV, which was intercepted on National Highway-16 at Ranihati in the Panchla police station area on Saturday evening, a police official said.
The arrested include MLAs Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kachchap and Naman Bixal Kongari, and two other persons, including their driver. Police said, they failed to answer why they were carrying such a large amount of cash.
"They could not state the reason for carrying such a huge amount of cash. We are not satisfied by their claim that they came here to purchase sarees meant to be distributed among tribal women. We have arrested them for further investigation," the officer told PTI.
The state CID has taken over the investigation from the Howrah Rural Police.
The Congress, which is a part of the JMM-led government in Jharkhand along with Lalu Prasad's RJD, has already suspended the three MLAs.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Babulal Marandi said the Congress has conspired to defame his party by filing a false police complaint to hide its own sins. "This is shameful and ridiculous. They do not trust their own MLAs. They are trying to hide the corruptions and misdeeds of their MLAs," said Marandi, a former chief minister.
(With inputs from agencies)
