VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Oct 14: The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday filed a prosecution complaint against Kolkata based businessman Amit Agrawal and Jharkhand High Court advocate Rajiv Kumar in cash for PIL case. Amit Agrawal, who is the original complainant, has been named as the first accused in this prosecution complaint. This is apparently the first time in the history of ED where a complainant ended as an accused.
The prosecution complaint was filed before the special PMLA Court of Prabhat Kumar Sharma. The ED has said that Amit Agrawal offered a bribe which Rajiv Kumar accepted hence both are guilty of offering and accepting bribe.
Besides, Amit Agrawal was sent to judicial custody as his police remand period in the money laundering case was over.
The ED had secured seven days remand of Kolkata based businessman Amit Agarwal cash for PIL case where he had lodged an FIR against Jharkhand High Court advocate Rajiv Kumar. Kolkata police arrested Rajiv Kumar on July 31st along with Rs 50 Lakh on charges of extorting money from Amit Agrawal to give him relief in a shell company related PIL.
Amit Agrawal alleged that Rajiv Kumar demanded Rs 10 Crore for not framing his name as well as his companies in shell company related PIL which Rajiv Kumar was representing before the Jharkhand High Court on behalf of the petitioner Shiv Shankar Sharma. He stated that Rajiv Kumar forced him to pay money as he had to manage the judiciary and investigating officers also.
The ED took over this case as Kolkata police summoned one of its ED officials for questioning. It was stated that Kolkata police forced Rajeev Kumar to name some ED officials and people from judiciary also. Amit Agrawal is said to be closely connected with the present government headed by Hemant Soren.
They also took over this case and started an investigation. They claimed that Amit Agrawal offered a bribe to Rajiv Kumar with a motive to trap him so that he could frustrate the PIL and any investigation against him.
Amit Agrawal could not explain anomalies in FIR
In the FIR Amit Agrawal stated that Rajiv Kumar asked him to the Esplanade area along with cash Rs 50 Lakh on the evening of July 31st else he would have to face consequence. Rajiv Kumar was arrested at Quest Mall which is far away from Esplanade. Amit Agrawal could not explain how the venue of their meeting was changed.
A senior law officer had drafted FIR copy
Amit Agrawal said that a senior law officer of Jharkhand had drafted the FIR copy against Rajiv Kumar. In the FIR specific allegations were made against Rajiv Kumar that he told Amit Agrawal to pay Rs 10 Crore since he will have to manage tax and other agencies. But Amit Agrawal could not give any evidence that Rajiv Kumar actually said these things to him.
