VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, April 5: The CBI has sent the judgment copy of the conviction of Mandar MLA Bandhu Tirkey to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) with a note that needful legal action may be taken in the light of the judgment.
Well-informed sources said that the CBI serving judgment copy to ED is a clear indication that Bandhu Tirkey may face a money-laundering probe by the ED. “The crime for which he was convicted comes under the definition of the scheduled offence. Hence the ED is entitled to examine the matter,” well-informed sources said.
Other than the ED, the CBI on Monday evening sent the judgment copy to the office of the Jharkhand Assembly Speaker, Election Commission of India, Jharkhand State Election Commissioner and the Ranchi DC. The CBI has said that Bandhu Tirkey who was elected as MLA from the Mandar assembly seat has been convicted. On March 28, the court of Special Judicial Commissioner Prabhat Kumar Sharma awarded him three years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs three lakh for possession of disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs. 7,22,167.
This may land Bandhu Tirkey in another problem as he is set to lose his membership in the Jharkhand assembly under the Representation of People’s Act. However, the assembly secretariat has not issued any notification of his disqualification till today. Notification of the disqualification is issued on the basis of the copy of the judgment provided by the prosecution agency. Top assembly officials said that they have not received a copy of the judgment. But the CBI sources said that a copy of the judgment has been provided to the Jharkhand assembly.
According to the law, if a public representative is convicted with a minimum of two years of imprisonment, he or she shall lose membership. Bandhu Tirkey will be disqualified from contesting the election. The law says that such a person shall continue to be disqualified for a further period of six years since his release.
The case RC 5 (A)/ 2010 was lodged against him by the CBI for possessing disproportionate assets worth Rs 6.28 Lakh. During the trial, the CBI produced 21 witnesses whereas Bandhu Titkey produced eight witnesses to prove his innocence. The investigation and the trial of this case always kept him on the tenterhook.
