HC dismisses CBI probe plea by arrested Jharkhand MLA in cash haul case

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday dismissed a prayer by the three Jharkhand Congress MLAs, arrested in the cash haul case, for transfer of the investigation to the CBI.

The three Congress MLAs from Jharkhand -- Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kachchap, and Naman Bixal Kongari -- were arrested by the West Bengal Police after over Rs 49 lakh in cash was seized from their SUV in Howrah on July 31.

The West Bengal CID took over the investigation from the Howrah Rural Police.

Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya dismissed the petition seeking transfer of the case to the CBI or any other central agency, observing that the accused in a case cannot choose the investigating agency.

The court said that since the seizure of cash and arrests were made in the Howrah district of West Bengal, the state CID is entitled to probe the case.

The MLAs had claimed that the case allegedly involves other states also and as such the West Bengal Police cannot probe the case.

A prayer for the stay on the investigation by the CID was also made before the court, which was not allowed.

Justice Bhattacharya directed that the investigation by the CID be concluded at the earliest in an unbiased and fair manner.