Saturday, April 26, 2025

CBI searches 3 MLAs’ premises, wants to scan ballots

Date:

Share post:

Ranchi: The CBI on Saturday raided the premises of three MLAs and an industrialist, an independent candidate in the cancelled March 30 Rajya Sabha poll, and said it wanted to examine the ballot papers used in the poll to know the voters’ choice of candidates following allegations of corruption and horse-trading.

There is a mechanism in Rajya Sabha election by which the choice of a particular MLA can be known.

CBI teams swooped down on the premises of MLAs K N Tripathi (Congress) at Palamau, Suresh Paswan (RJD) at Deogarh and Vishnu Bhaiyya (BJP) at Jamtara, besides their houses here, a senior CBI official said here.

The sleuths also conducted raids at the residences of industrialist R K Agarwal, president of the Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce, and his son-in-law Soumitra Saha in Jamshedpur and another of his relative R K Saha in Chaibasa, the official told PTI.

The March 30 election was countermanded following allegations that certain candidates were trying to reach the Upper House through horse-trading. The CBI on Thursday lodged an FIR after obtaining the original FIR registered with the Namkum police station following the recovery of Rs 2.15 crore from a vehicle before start of polling on March 30.

The cash was seized from the vehicle registered in the name of Agarwal’s brother, Suresh, according to the FIR. CBI sources said a case has been registered under section 171F and 188 of the Indian Penal Code.

Section 171F deals with “undue influence or personation” at an election with a maximum punishment of one year or fine or both while Sec 188 deals with punishment of six months imprisonment, or fine of 1,000 rupees, or both for disobeying orders of an authority.

Meanwhile, the CBI would also seek to examine the ballot papers used on that day.

“We will seek permission from the Election Commission to allow us take the sealed ballot box to know the MLAs’ choice of candidates. Otherwise, it would be difficult to nail any accused,” the CBI official said.

According to Assembly secretariat sources, though the name of an MLA is not mentioned in the ballot paper during RS polls, it has a hidden number which can be matched with its counterfoil number given in the name of an MLA before voting.

When the number of an used ballot paper is revealed by scratching a layer hiding it, and it is matched with that of the counterfoil, an MLA’s choice of candidate becomes known.

The CBI on Friday collected the list of candidates who had contested the March 30 elections and their proposers.

The sealed ballot box is now kept in the strong room at the assembly secretariat. (PTI)

Related articles

SRH all but end CSK’s chances

Chennai, April 25: Pacer Harshal Patel made the best use of a sluggish Chepauk surface as Sunrisers Hyderabad...

Railway infra, Kashmiri Pandits on terror target; security forces on alert

Srinagar, April 24: Security forces are on high alert after inputs suggested that terrorists are “actively planning” an...

Houses of 2 LeT terrorists bombed

Srinagar, April 25: The house of two Lashkar-e-Taiba (Let) terrorists, including the prime suspect of the Pahalgam terror...

Abhinav claims hat-trick as Meghalaya beat Arunachal

1st Little Masters Trophy Shillong, April 25: Abhinav Khanal took a hat-trick to set up a comprehensive seven-wicket victory...