RS polls: CBI raids 3 MLAs’ premises,wants to scan ballots

Police recovred Rs 2.15 crore from a vehicle before start of polling on March 30.

The CBI on Saturday raided premises of three MLAs and an industrialist,an independent candidate in the cancelled March 30 Rajya Sabha poll,and said it wanted to examine the ballot papers used in the poll to know the voters’ choice of candidates following allegations of corruption and horse-trading.

There is a mechanism in Rajya Sabha election by which the choice of a particular MLA can be known.

CBI teams swooped down on the premises of MLAs K N Tripathi (Congress) at Palamau,Suresh Paswan (RJD) at Deogarh and Vishnu Bhaiyya (BJP) at Jamtara,besides their houses,a senior CBI official said.

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The sleuths also conducted raids at the residences of industrialist R K Agarwal,president of the Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce,and his son-in-law Soumitra Saha in Jamshedpur and another of his relative R K Saha in Chaibasa,the official said.

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

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 before start of polling on March 30.

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

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CBI sources said a case has been registered under section 171F and 188 of the IPC.

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