RS horse trading charges: Seizures throw clues for CBI

Seizures, including the ballot box used for the March 30 countermanded elections to Rajya Sabha seats from Jharkhand, has given many clues to the Central Bureau of Investigation and the investigation was expected to be completed within six months.

"Progress in the horse-trading (in the countermanded RS polls for two seats) case is good, and it will be completed within six months," a top CBI official said in Rachi on Saturday.

Stating that more details could not be shared because of the sensitivity of the case, he said seizures like cash, car and others important things had put the probe on the right track.

CBI sleuths had last month raided the premises of industrialist R K Agarwal, who was in the fray as an independent candidate in the cancelled elections, three members of Legislative Assembly and some other persons and seized important documents and things.

"No, we would not like to reveal that," the top CBI official said when asked how many votes had Agarwal secured as the CBI checked each vote after opening the ballot box,  which was used for the cancelled polls.

On April 26, the investigators had seized the ballot box used in the cancelled elections as part of their investigations into allegations that certain candidates had tried to win a RS seat through horse-trading.

The CBI has registered the case under section 171F (undue influence) and 188 of Indian Penal Code (disobedience to an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant).

The cancellation of the elections had come in the wake of the police and the Income Tax department seizing Rs 2.15 crore from a vehicle on the outskirts of Ranchi on poll day.