Three Indian MLAs arrested with Rs14.5m cash

JHARKHAND, India: Three Congress MLAs from Jharkhand found with cash worth more than INR4.8 million (PKR14.5 million) in West Bengal’s Howrah district were arrested after police spent the night interrogating them. The Congress suspended the leaders, alleging that the incident had exposed the BJP’s Operation Lotus to usurp power in Jharkhand. A Howrah district court has sent the three MLAs on 10-day police remand.

The case has also been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), foreign media reported. On Sunday, five people, including the driver of the vehicle and MLAs were arrested. Police sources said the accused were not able to justify possession of such a big amount of cash. Also, the vehicle seized by the police belonged to one of the three Congress legislators who were detained on Saturday evening along with the other two party MLAs, and cash worth over INR48 lakh was seized from them.

According to sources, the MLAs told police they had come with the money to Kolkata’s Barabazar to gift it to tribal people. Meanwhile, the MLAs’ advocates alleged that they were unable to visit their clients. Along with police, income tax, CID officials also questioned the group. There was no response yet from the MLAs — Irfan Ansari from Jamtara, Rajesh Kachhap from Khijri, and Naman Bixal Kongari from Kolebira — who were being questioned by the Howrah Rural police about the source of the money.