Cash haul sullies poll mood Congress in thick of money muddle

Cash haul sullies poll mood Congress in thick of money muddle

VIJAY DEO JHA

The seizure: Rs 22.6 lakh The den: City Palace, Ranchi Envelopes containing money seized from City Palace, a hotel (above) in Ranchi, on Sunday. Pictures by Hardeep Singh Ranchi, April 7: Police seized over Rs 20 lakh in cash, the money put in hundreds of envelopes, from a city hotel, casting a shadow on tomorrow’s civic polls in Ranchi in a replay of last year’s Rajya Sabha election when crores were seized from a car linked to one of the candidates. Today’s raid on Hotel City Palace was carried out around noon soon after a group of Congress leaders, including former mayor Rama Khalkho — also a candidate this time — and others wrapped up a meeting there, prompting an election commission observer to comment that it was a blatant attempt to influence polls. However, the election commission clarified that tomorrow’s vote in Ranchi and Bundu was on. A final decision on the fate of the civic polls, however, would be taken only after it received a written report from observers, the police and the income tax department. The money, Rs 22.6 lakh in all, was seized from two second floor rooms (Nos. 202, 205) booked by Ranchi Congress vice president Niranjan Sharma. Around 50 bundles of poll material were also seized. SP (city) Manoj Ratan said since the rooms and the conference hall where the Congress leaders held their meeting had been booked in the name of Sharma, he had been arrested. An employee of his, Sudhir Sahu, is in the net too. “We are in the process of filing FIRs. There are evidences against Rama Khalkho as well,” he said. Elaborating on today’s operation, the SP said the Lalpur police raided the hotel following specific intelligence inputs that big money had been brought in for distribution. “The cash was put in hundreds of envelopes meant for distribution. We are trying to find out the people behind this.” Apart from Khalkho, those who were at the hotel and left from a side exit as soon as police arrived, were Sunil Sahay, younger brother of Ranchi MP Subodh Kant Sahay, and Congress president Surendra Singh. Police reached the hotel at noon and went to room 205 where they found two bags of currency notes with Sudhir Sahu, the employee of Sharma, who brought the bags to the hotel. They then checked with hotel staff and moved to room 202. They broke open the lock and seized the third bag. While Rs 18.05 lakh was found in the bags in room 205, the third bag in room 202 had a little over Rs 4 lakh. Expenditure observer of the mayoral election Sarvjeet Safalta said he had reported the matter to the poll panel. “It is a blatant attempt to influence the polls,” he said. State election commission chairman S.D. Sharma said he would take a final decision on the polls only after he received a report from the police, IT officials and his observers. “Information on recovery of cash from a Ranchi hotel barely 24 hours before civic polls in Ranchi and Bundu has been received over the phone. Our observers are already on the spot since early morning. In addition, personnel from the state intelligence, state police as well as from the investigation wing of the income tax department are there. We will wait for a written report before we initiate any action,” Sharma told The Telegraph. He said the commission was keeping tabs on other places and added that guilty candidates faced disqualification and strict action under the Indian Penal Code, income tax laws and provisions of the Jharkhand Municipal Act. While the police raid was going on, a team of income tax officials, led by additional director, investigation, Sandeep Rai reached the hotel and questioned Sharma and Sahu. In his statement to the police and IT department, Sahu said he was carrying out Sharma’s instructions. “I was not aware of what was inside these bags. Sharma asked me to carry bags and food packets to the hotel rooms,” he said. Sharma admitted the Congress was holding a scheduled meeting to discuss the civic elections, but remained tight-lipped about the money seized. The Congress dismissed the whole affair as a “conspiracy” against its party nominee (Khalkho). The former mayor herself alleged it was a conspiracy hatched by her opponents to tarnish her image. “We had our meeting. We had booked the fourth-floor for the meeting not the second floor from where the money was seized. My opponents are behind it,” she told The Telegraph. Congress’s principal rival, the BJP, jumped at the opportunity to target the party. It demanded immediate arrest of Khalkho and others involved. “Does the commission need more proof?” BJP candidate for mayor Ajay Tirkey said.