PATNA: Ranchi police on Saturday arrested three people from a hotel n Line Tank road and recovered huge cash and electronic equipment from the accused. They have been charged with conspiracy to overthrow the elected state government and FIR filed at the Kotwali police station alleged they were engaged in Hawala transactions for horse trading of MLAs.

According to Ranchi police, accused identified as Abhisek Dubey, Amit Singh and Nivaran Prasad were picked up by the special branch of the state police from the hotel which was under constant surveillance for the last couple of days in view of suspected activities. They were taken to the government hospital for COVID tests and produced before the judicial magistrate. The three accused were sent to 14 days judicial custody by Chief judicial magistrate Court at Ranchi

According to the FIR lodged with Kotwali police station by Congress MLA Kumar Jaimangal Singh, they were part of the large conspiracy to overthrow Hemant Soren government by engineering defections in the ruling party. FIR has been filed under different sections of Indian Penal Code(IPC), including 419, 420, 124 A and Prevention of Corruption Act.

Earlier, police had searched several hotels at Bokaro, Dhanbad and Ranchi on July 16 as hawala traders were found staying there. They shifted their base to three hotels at Ranchi, according to the police.

Two travel agencies were also on the radar of the special branch of the state police as they were suspected to be involved in tour arrangements for the legislators. Their premises were also raided by the police.

Supriyo Bhattacharya, general secretary of the ruling Jharkhabnd Mukti Morcha told Free Press Journal over phone, "It is not an ordinary incident. There is a well planned conspiracy to overthrow the elected government by the BJP. Plans were being made to purchase the ruling party MLAs since Thursday and the conspirators were accommodated in three posh hotels of the state capital. I charge BJP with plotting to topple the Hemant Soren government. An alert special branch of police uncovered the conspiracy".

In the 81 members Jharkhand assembly, JMM led by Hemant Soren has 30 MLAs, Congress 16, JVMP 3, RJD 1, Independent four, while BJP has 25 members.