Suspended Jharkhand Congress MLA Rajesh Kachchap was interrogated by Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials for more than 10 hours here in connection with the seizure of ₹49 lakh in cash in West Bengal from him and two other party legislators last year.
Mr. Kachchap, who reached the agency's regional office here around noon on February 7 and was grilled for over 10 hours, later asserted that the allegations against him to hatch a conspiracy to topple the Jharkhand government were false and fabricated.
"I placed my points before the ED which asked me a number of questions related to money laundering. The interrogations in the ED office were done in a cordial atmosphere without any pressure," Mr. Kachchap told media persons after coming out of ED regional office on Tuesday night.
He said he will fully cooperate with the central agency.
Mr. Kachchap had on January 16 sought two weeks for appearing before the agency, citing pre-scheduled engagements.
Mr. Kachchap and two other suspended Congress MLAs Irfan Ansari and Naman Bixal were arrested after their vehicle was intercepted on National Highway 16 at Panchla in West Bengal’s Howrah district on July 30 last year and nearly ₹49 lakh in cash was found in the car.
They were then suspended by the party.
The ED grilled Ansari for more than 10 hours on Monday in connection with its probe into the cash seizure.
The MLAs, who are now out on bail, claimed that the money was meant for buying sarees for an Adivasi festival in Jharkhand. The investigation into the case was later handed over to the state CID by the police authorities. The Congress is a part of the JMM-led government in the state.
The ED is investigating the money laundering aspect of the case.
Congress MLA Kumar Jaimangal Singh alias Anup Singh had lodged a complaint with Ranchi's Argora police station, alleging that the three legislators had offered him ₹10 crore and a ministerial berth for toppling the JMM-led government in Jharkhand.
The ED had in December last year questioned Jaimangal Singh in connection with the case.
Mr. Singh had claimed that he was not summoned as an accused but as a complainant in the case.
