SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, Dec 6: The CBI today moved a special court in Ranchi to take Amit Agarwal, a Kolkata-based businessman, on remand for questioning in the ‘cash for PIL’ case.
Agarwal is already lodged in the Birsa Munda jail after the ED arrested him in a money-laundering case.
Incidentally, the Jharkhand High Court is scheduled to hear his bail petition in a money laundering case tomorrow. One of the accused in the case, Dilip Ghosh, has already been granted bail in the case. However, the ED has challenged the high court’s order granting bail to Ghosh in the Supreme Court.
According to sources, a team from the CBI in Delhi, where an FIR was lodged in January this year, will plead tomorrow to take Agarwal to the national capital for interrogation.
Notably, the CBI filed an FIR against Agarwal after raids at his premises in Jharkhand, Kolkata in a corruption case in January this year.
The central agency launched this operation in response to the Jharkhand High Court’s order to undertake a preliminary investigation.
The CBI registered an FIR against Agrawal and unknown personnel of the Kolkata police for scandalising the court, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other government representatives. The investigation agency also executed raids in Jharkhand and Kolkata at several places related to Agarwal.
“The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case against an accused, unknown officials of Kolkata Police and unknown others. The High Court directed the CBI to conduct a PE into the conduct of the petitioner into scandalizing the judiciary, ED officials and other Government officials particularly considering the Hare Street Police Station case no. 222/2022. The enquiry has revealed that prima facie offence under relevant sections of IPC, PC Act etc is made out. Therefore, a case was registered. The investigation is continuing,” the statement issued in January by CBI read.
A preliminary investigation into the subject found that on October 10, 2021, a writ suit was filed by one Shiv Shankar Sharma through lawyer Rajeev Kumar alleging that Amit Kumar Agarwal, among others, was engaged in money laundering for Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. According to the CBI, shell businesses were leveraged to achieve this goal.
The investigation further found that Amit Agarwal complained on July 31, 2022, at Hare Street Police Station against Rajeev Kumar and Shiv Shankar Sharma for allegedly demanding and defrauding a payment of Rs.10 Crore in exchange for dismissing the PIL.
Reports mention that Amit Kumar Agarwal taped the chats between him and Rajeev Kumar on both occasions. Agarwal persuaded Rajeev Kumar to utilise his strong ties with Judges to get the PIL dismissed, and he also promised him money and inquired about the amount of cash required.
Later, on July 31, 2022, Agarwal contacted Rajeev Kumar and gave him Rs. 50 lakhs. This was done to trap him by the Kolkata Police, the report added.
