Jhk: ED grills suspended Cong MLA for 10 hours in cash haul case

Suspended Jharkhand Congress MLA Irfan Ansari was grilled for over 10 hours by Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths here in connection with the seizure of ₹49 crore in West Bengal cash from him and two other party legislators last year.

Ansari, who was questioned at the zonal office of the federal agency, alleged that baseless allegations were leveled against him to tarnish his image." I gave possible answers to the ED's questions. I also assured them of full cooperation in the investigation and willingness to be present, whenever you call,” he told reporters after leaving the office.

"I am not involved in any conspiracy to overthrow the government," Ansari said. Ansari and fellow Congress MLAs Rajesh Kachchap and Naman Bixal were arrested after their vehicle was intercepted on National Highway 16 at Panchla in Howrah district on July 30 and nearly ₹49 crore in cash was found in the car. They were then suspended by the party.

The MLAs, who are now on bail, claimed that the money was meant for buying sarees for an Adivasi festival in Jharkhand. The investigation of the case was later handed over to the state CID by the police authorities. The Congress is part of the JMM-led government in Jharkhand. Congress MLA Kumar Jaimangal Singh alias Anup Singh filed a complaint at the Ranchi police station in Argora alleging that three legislators offered him ₹10 crore and a ministerial berth to topple the JMM-led government in Jharkhand.

Ansari said the ED asked him about the complaint. “I told them (ED) that I have not spoken to Singh for the last one year, I also told them that the money raised in West Bengal is ours,” he said. The three MLAs had earlier said that they were going to Kolkata to buy sarees with the seized money.

On December 24 last year, the ED questioned Jaimangala Singh for over nine hours in connection with the case. Singh claimed that he was not summoned as an accused, but as a complainant in the case.

The ED summoned Ansari on January 13, but he appeared before it two weeks later. The ED is investigating the money laundering aspect of the case.