Legislators’ PAs on the run, CBI grills them to prove ‘innocence’
VIJAY DEO JHA
RANCHI
Till a month back they freely roamed in the power portal with their collar-up shirts claiming themselves as the shadow and close confidant of their MLA bosses. But the Man Fridays of State Legislators are now claiming innocence and feigning ignorance before the CBI about any secret deal of their bosses during the Rajya Sabha elections.
The CBI investigating the Rajya Sabha horse trading case has been chasing dozens of people who are so called private assistant of MLAs — officially and quite publicly — as the investigative agency has been sniffing their role in the foul play.
“Very funny,” chortled a CBI official, “Their excuse provides some comic relief. Some of them sought mercy and relief saying that they were mere minions and attendants of their masters having no knowledge if their bosses entered into any shady ‘cash for vote’ deal.”
Few days back, a CBI official had sent stern message to Rajendra Mandal who is reported to handling political and other affairs of JMM MLA Sita Soren, and asked him to voluntarily appear before the CBI otherwise he would be tucked away even from his unreachable destination. “Initially he did not pick our call. We sent him message. Luckily he picked once. He talked insolently as though we are making a fun call. He dodged us about his destination. He is yet to turn up,” the official said.
Sensing trouble ahead their worried relatives and well wishers are charting defense line. “Prove it first that my son Rajendra has been private assistant of Sita Soren. He has never been associated with her in any capacity. These CBI fellows… (expletive deleted) have been harassing him,” senior JMM leader and former MP Suraj Mandal said. Having faced CBI in ‘MP Bribery Case during Narsimha Rao Government; Mandal understands what CBI investigation means that gave him sleepless nights despite overdose of sleeping pills.
But sources having privy of inside story confided Rajendra and Vikash Singh as two close confidants of Sita. Vikash was rather brought by Rajendra as second man. Later on, Rajendra developed differences with Vikash as later tried to nudge him on the margin, the CBI got this vital clue during the examination of a couple of persons. Vikash Singh is still a tough customer for the CBI as he reportedly stopped receiving calls from CBI despite direction to appear within 24 hours.
“We are offering them the best possible opportunity to prove their innocence. They know a lot about horse trading and we have evidences,” official claimed.
Constant chasing by the CBI finally forced Girija Shankar (one time PA of Sita Soren) to appear before the CBI on Tuesday. “He appeared before the CBI and said that he reached Ranchi today. Our men interrogated them,” CBI SSP R.C. Chaudhary conformed. Girija’s appearance was not an easy undertaking. “He (Girija) tried to make us believe that he was in Delhi while we had information about his presence in Ranchi. This was a kid of hide and seek game,” another CBI official said. On Monday night, Girija was staying at the residence of a private secretary of a top JMM leader. Girija even stayed for a couple of days in a hotel situated at Kutchery Chowk locality. The CBI had raided the hotel also to catch him.
The CBI summoned Vishwajeet Nath Sahdeo who is known to be acting as private assistant of the AJSU Party MLA Kamal kishore Bhagat who is under the CBI scanner. Scared by the CBI summon Sahdeo switched off his mobile. The CBI is also likely to grill private secretary of a JVM MLA.
“Some of them are really innocent but not all of them innocent. These things are bound to happen because if you become the part of shady deals and act of your master you have to face the situation,” a person who has served many MLAs and minister as PA said on the condition of anonymity.
