CBI raids premises of 3 MLAs, RS candidate

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday launched simultaneous raids on the premises of three MLAs and industrialist R K Agarwal, who was one of the independent candidates in the recent Rajya Sabha elections.

Separate teams of CBI were searching the premises of MLAs K N Tripathi (Congress) at Palamau, Suresh Paswan (RJD) at Deogarh and Vishnu Bhaiyya (BJP) at Jamtara, besides their Ranchi-based residences, a CBI official said.

The March 30 election was countermanded following allegations of certain candidates trying to reach the Upper House through horse-trading.

CBI officials said the sleuths were also conducting raids in the residences of Agarwal and his son-in-law Soumitra Saha in Jamshedpur and another of his relative R K Saha in Chaibasa.

Agarwal is the president of Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce.

The CBI had on Thursday lodged an FIR after obtaining the original FIR registered with the Namkum police station following the recovery of Rs 2.15 crore from a vehicle on poll day.

The cash was seized allegedly from the vehicle registered in the name of Agarwal's brother, Suresh, according to the FIR.