The West Bengal CID spoke to Anup Singh, Congress MLA from Jharkhand who had lodged a complaint against three arrested Congress MLAs, for over four hours on Monday trying to figure out whether he had any links with the trio.
Three Congress MLAs from Jharkhand — Irfan Ansari of Jamtara, Rajesh Kachhap of Khijri and Naman Bixal Kongari of Kolebira — were arrested on July 31 after they allegedly failed to explain the source of the more than Rs 49 lakh that was said to have been found in an SUV they were travelling in.
The MLAs were intercepted at Howrah’s Panchla on July 30. Soon after the arrests, Singh lodged a complaint in Ranchi alleging that the trio had asked him to visit Kolkata and offered him Rs 10 crore. He was also allegedly promised to be taken to Guwahati to meet Assam’s BJP chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Singh alleged in his complaint that he was promised the money as part of an effort “to topple the government of JMM and Congress (of Jharkhand)”. The Bengal CID took over Singh’s complaint and drew up a case against the three MLAs. In his complaint, Singh wrote: “Shri Irfan Ansari and Rajesh Kachhap wants me to come to Kolkata and then take me to Guwahati where... Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma... will give me assurance of a definite ministerial berth apart from money.”
“Singh has provided certain leads,” said an ED official.