LAGATAR24 NETWORK
Ranchi, Feb. 9: The Zero FIR filed by Jharkhand Congress MLA Jaimangal Singh alias Anoop Singh which became the basis of the Bengal Police to launch a probe against three Jharkhand Congress MLAs is under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The anti-money federal agency is investigating this July 30, 2022 case when the three MLAs- Irfan Ansari, Naman Bixal Kongari and Rajesh Kacchap- were detained by the Bengal police along with Rs 49 lakh cash.
The next day, Bermo MLA Jaimangal Singh lodged a Zero FIR at the Argora police station in Ranchi. He was accompanied with Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur and others.
Unlike an FIR, which is restricted by jurisdiction, a zero FIR can be filed in any police station, regardless of whether the offence was committed under the jurisdiction of that particular police station.
Singh alleged that Irfan Ansari had offered him Rs 10 crore and a ministerial berth if he joins them in their move to break the Congress and topple the Hemant Soren government in Jharkhand. Jaimangal Singh claimed that Irfan Ansari also offered him to arrange his meeting with Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma as he was handling the entire operation to dislodge the Hemant Soren government where the Congress is a key partner.
But the Zero FIR and its timing raises suspicion. The recovery was made by the Bengal police at Howrah and ideally it should have initiated investigation on the basis of its own findings rather than an FIR lodged in Ranchi a day after the cash was recovered. Sources said that the entire incident and police action of both the states looked as if these were scripted in advance with perfect timing and it was given a logical and legal cover up.
The MLA was offered bribe in cash and a ministerial berth by his own party colleagues. It means he was aware of a deep political conspiracy to topple the government. But he chose to lodge an FIR that too a Zero FIR a day after the MLAs were detained. At least Jaimangal Singh had no reply as to why he remained silent and did not inform the police. There is no clarity whether he had intimated the police in writing about this conspiracy. If yes then what action Ranchi police took including a preliminary investigation and the station diary report, sources pointed out.
The ED is looking for plausible explanation that why the Bengal Police did not lodge an FIR on the cash recovery and based its investigation on the Zero FIR. It looked as if the Bengal police was waiting for someone to lodge a complaint against these MLAs and then further the investigation. The Ranchi police is also under the scanner for lodging a Zero FIR rather than a regular FIR. It looked strange to the ED that Ranchi police without any preliminary inquiry handed over an important case of the state to police of other state when complainant and suspects belong to same state. It is being questioned whether the Ranchi police made any preliminary inquiry into this matter.
It should be noted that the ED has taken up this case for investigation and already recorded statements of these MLAs as well as the complainant MLA.
The accused MLAs have claimed that they are innocent and they were implicated under a political conspiracy. They said that they arranged cash through loan or personal income to purchase sari for distribution among their voters on occasion of World tribal day.
On December 24 last year the ED had recorded statement of MLA Jaimangal Singh.
