PILs against Jharkhand CM: CBI books Businessman for his alleged attempt; Raids at his Premises

The Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) has charged a businessman, Amit Kumar Agarwal, and unknown Kolkata Police officials with allegedly duping a lawyer into accepting a bribe of Rs 50 lakh to have PILs against him and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

As per agency Official, “Searches were conducted at multiple locations in Jharkhand and Kolkata related to Agarwal.”

According to media reports, Amit Agrawal is close to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. On the direction of the Jharkhand High Court, the CBI launched a preliminary investigation into Mr. Agarwal’s conduct in December 2022, charging him with scandalising the judiciary, Enforcement Directorate officials, and other government officials.

As per First Information Report (FIR), the investigation revealed that on October 10, 2021, a PIL was filed before the Jharkhand High Court by one Shiv Shankar Sharma through advocate Rajeev Kumar, alleging that Mr. Agarwal, among others, was involved in the laundering of Mr. Soren’s and others’ ill-gotten money through shell companies.

Another PIL was filed on February 16, 2022, against Mr. Soren and the then Jharkhand Mining Secretary Pooja Singhal, who is being investigated by the ED, regarding a mining lease allegedly acquired by the CM, who held the charge of Minister of Mines and Industries. The High Court consolidated both petitions, and active hearings in both PILs were underway.

On the Basis of findings, Mr. Agarwal attempted to influence Mr. Kumar in connection with the PILs in March 2022 through the then-DC of Ranchi. He filed a complaint with the Hare Street police station in Kolkata on July 31, 2022, alleging an illegal demand of Rs.10 crore and extortion in exchange for the petitions being dismissed. Mr. Kumar and Mr. Sharma were charged after the Kolkata Police received his complaint.

The CBI discovered that Mr. Agarwal allegedly called Mr. Kumar from Ranchi to Kolkata, first on July 13, 2022, and then again on July 31, 2022, via one of his contacts named Sonu Agarwal, and allegedly induced him to take money to resolve the matter.

He called Mr. Kumar on July 31, 2022, handed over Rs.50 lakh to him and got him trapped by the Kolkata Police, according to the CBI.

The CBI claimed in its FIR that Mr. Agarwal provided false information to the Hare Street police station and that the bribe was given to Mr. Kumar by alluring him with the intent to interfere with the judicial process.

In end, CBI concluded that Mr. Agarwal had called Mr. Kumar to Kolkata, allegedly offered and gave him Rs.50 lakh to induce the public servant concerned for get the PILs dismissed.