VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Nov 11: When Jharkhand High Court advocate Rajiv Kumar was interrogated by the Kolkata police in police custody, businessman Amit Agrawal was present there to know what else Rajiv Kumar told the police.
Rajiv Kumar is learnt to have told this to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) during his questioning. He said that at least on four occasions he noticed the presence of Amit Agrawal as he heard him loudly talking and laughing inside the anteroom of the interrogation room where he was interrogated in the cash for the PIL case. The statement of Rajiv Kumar supports the contention of the ED that Amit Agrawal used his connections with the Kolkata police to trap Rajiv Kumar so that the PIL 4290/21 is rejected. Meanwhile, the Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Rajiv Kumar in this case.
The Kolkata police arrested Rajiv Kumar on July 31 on the charge of extorting money from Amit Agrawal to give him relief in this shell company related PIL where some of his companies have been alleged as shell companies. He was arrested along with Rs 50 lakh cash. Amit Agrawal in the written complaint had claimed that Rajiv Kumar had contacted him for money and demanded Rs 10 crore to settle the PIL against him. The ED in the probe stated that Amit Agrawal with a sinister design contacted Rajiv Kumar and offered him a bribe in order to trap him so that the said PIL is dismissed. He had a sinister design to cast aspersions on judiciary and probe agencies. For this he contacted Rajiv Kumar via Sonu Agrawal.
Rajiv Kumar compromised for money and even ready to fall ill to delay court hearing
In the prosecution complaint, the ED has stated when Amit Agrawal contacted Rajiv Kumar to settle the PIL 4290/2021 and offered the bribe, Rajiv Kumar compromised himself and he received the cash. The ED also submitted a transcript of the telephonic conversation between Amit Agrawal and Rajiv Kumar which was provided to the ED by the Kolkata police.
“On scrutiny of the said conversation, it is evident that the accused No 1 (Amit Agrawal) is initiating the discussions related to bribes. He is also encouraging Rajiv Kumar, accused No 2 to speak about the bench, judges and regarding rewinding of the court cases. It is also evident that Rajiv Kumar, the accused No 2 is ready to compromise the issue. He was even planning to show himself ill or something which could delay the proceeding before the court. He is also asking the accused No 1, Amit Kumar Agarwal to wait for 3 months and things will be alright. The transcriptions are incomplete and it appears that some portions of the said conversation have been transcribed,” the ED stated in the chargesheet.
The ED also submitted a transcript of that conversation as provided by the Kolkata police.
Here is the transcript of conversation between Amit Agarwal and Rajiv Kumar:
