India News | Jharkhand: Another Suspended Cong MLA Seeks 2 Weeks to Appear Before ED
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Suspended Congress MLA in Jharkhand, Naman Bixal Kongari, facing an investigation in a cash haul case, on Tuesday sought two weeks' time for appearing before the Enforcement Directorate (ED), counsel for the legislator said.
Ranchi, Jan 17 (PTI) Suspended Congress MLA in Jharkhand, Naman Bixal Kongari, facing an investigation in a cash haul case, on Tuesday sought two weeks' time for appearing before the Enforcement Directorate (ED), counsel for the legislator said.
On Monday, another suspended Congress MLA from the Khijri seat, Rajesh Kachchap, who is also under probe in the same case, sought time for two weeks for appearing before the ED citing pre-scheduled engagements.
When the ED had called Jamtara MLA Irfan Ansari for questioning on January 13, he had also skipped his appearance before the central agency and pleaded for some more time citing medical grounds. Ansari had also been suspended by the grand old party.
"I have sought two weeks' time from the Enforcement Directorate. Summons was received on Saturday and the ED sought bank details and other information which could not be arranged quickly," Kongari, who is the MLA from Kolebira constituency, told PTI.
"I don't know how to operate emails though I have an email id," Kongari said.
His counsel Chandra Bhanu Singh told media persons that Kongari's cell phone was seized by the West Bengal police and he had no access to emails.
Singh, who is handling the case of the three MLAs, visited the ED office on Tuesday and pleaded for some more time.
He said that ED officials told him the decision to grant two weeks' time could be taken only by senior officials.
"We assured the ED officials of all cooperation," the counsel said.
Kongari was summoned by the agency in connection with cash recovery from a car in which he was travelling along with party MLAs, Irfan Ansari and Rajesh Kachchap.
The three legislators were arrested by the West Bengal Police after Rs 49 lakh in cash was recovered from their vehicle in Howrah district in July last year.
On December 24, the ED questioned Congress MLA Kumar Jaimangal Singh alias Anup Singh for over nine hours in connection with the case.
Singh had lodged a complaint with Ranchi's Argora police station, alleging that the three MLAs had offered him Rs 10 crore and a ministerial berth for toppling the JMM-led Hemant Soren government in Jharkhand.
Singh had claimed that he was not summoned as an accused but as a complainant in the case.
The ED is investigating the money laundering aspect of the case.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)