Congress expels 3 Jharkhand MLAs arrested over cash haul

A major political row has erupted over the seizure of cash from three Jharkhand Congress MLAs in West Bengal with the party alleging attempts by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to destabilise the government in Jharkhand. The Congress on Sunday expelled the three MLAs and a police complaint was registered at Ranchi against the MLAs for allegedly offering money to topple the government in Jharkhand. 

The West Bengal Police on Saturday had detained Jamtara MLA Irfan Ansari, Khijri MLA Rajesh Kachhap, and Kolebira MLA Naman Bixal Kongari with cash valued at about ₹49 lakh stacked in their vehicles. On Sunday, the three MLAs, and two others accompanying them, were arrested and remanded to the custody of the State Police’s Criminal Investigation Department till August 10. 

Wads of cash that were found in a vehicle in which three Jharkhand Congress MLAs Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kachhap and Naman Viksal Kongadi, were travelling at Ranihati in Howrah district on July 30, 2022. (Source: PTI)