I-T dept raids 2 Jharkhand Congress MLAs, coal traders in disproportionate assets case

RANCHI: The Income Tax (I-T) department on Friday raided multiple locations in Jharkhand linked to two Congress legislators and some traders in connection with a disproportionate assets case, officials said.

The Congress is a partner of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in the ruling alliance in the state. One of the Congress MLAs alleged political vendetta by the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the raids.

Chief minister Hemant Soren, who has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering case linked to alleged illegal mining, also accused the BJP of misusing central investigating agencies.

According to officials familiar with the matter, a team of the I-T department arrived at the premises linked to Congress MLAs Jaimangal Singh and Pradeep Yadav in Ranchi, Bermo, Patna and Godda early on Friday. The raids were underway and no statement by the I-T department was released till the time of filing of this report.

The teams also raided locations linked to coal traders and other businessmen in Chaibasa and Jamshedpur.

Jaimangal Singh, MLA from Bermo and son of Congress veteran and former minister Rajendra Singh, in August complained against three party legislators, alleging the trio was part of a conspiracy to topple the Jharkhand government.

The allegation came after the three MLAs – Irfan Ansari (Jamtara), Rajesh Kachchap (Khijri) and Naman Bixal Kongari (Kolebira) – were arrested by the West Bengal Police on July 31 following the recovery of ₹49 lakh in cash from their vehicle in Howrah district a day earlier.

They were granted interim bail by the Calcutta high court on August 17.

Singh also filed a zero FIR with Argora police, saying the three legislators called him to Kolkata and told him that Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma assured him of ₹10 crore and a ministerial berth if the BJP formed the government in Jharkhand.

Both Sarma and the BJP denied the allegations.

Yadav is a five-term legislator from Poraiyahat and a former Lok Sabha member from Godda. He was elected on a Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) (JVM-P) ticket in 2019 but joined the Congress after the JVM-P merged with the BJP.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether the I-T department teams recovered any items during the searches.

Singh alleged he was being raided for political reasons. He added that he declared details of all his assets in his election affidavit.

“The I-T department is conducting raids at my premises in Ranchi, Bermo and Patna because I dared to deflate Operation Lotus in Jharkhand,” he said.

“Operation Lotus” is a term repeatedly used by opposition parties to suggest the BJP is trying to poach their leaders and topple their elected governments.

“This raid is conducted to pressure me to switch sides. I heard they began raiding the residence of Pradeep Yadav, five minutes before they came to my place. Whoever is not with the BJP will have to face the raids,” Singh said.

Singh alleged that one of the vehicles in which the I-T officials arrived in Bermo initially carried a BJP sticker on its front glass. “The sticker was later removed by a person who was wearing a BJP stole. The car was taken away. This is a matter of investigation,” he said.

The raids were also condemned by Soren during his speech at a state government function in Daltonganj later in the day. “The I-T officers go to conduct raids in BJP vehicles. And then they are giving us lectures on morality. They should die of shame. They are robbing the mandate of people using central agencies as cover,” said the chief minister, who has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money-laundering probe.

BJP legislature party leader Babulal Marandi refused to comment on the issue, saying only I-T officials should speak on the matter.