Third suspended Congress MLA skips ED summons

RANCHI: Suspended Congress legislator Naman Bixel Kongari on Tuesday failed to appear before the enforcement directorate (ED) for his questioning regarding the cash seizure from him and two of his MLA colleagues, Irfan Ansari and Rajesh Kachchap. Both Ansari and Kachhap have also sought two weeks’ time to appear before the agency in the case.
Kongari’s advocate Chandra Bhanu appeared before the ED’s office at Hinoo in Ranchi and submitted an application on his client’s behalf praying for two weeks’ time to appear for questioning.
Talking to media persons later after visiting the office, Bhanu said, “The ED had sent summons through e-mail. Kongari checks the mail on his mobile phone but the device is currently seized by the Kolkata police in connection with the cash seizure case. The postal summons issued by ED was received on January 14. It was difficult to assemble the documents asked by the ED in such a short period.”
He added that Kongari was also already planning a visit to Delhi on January 16 before the ED summons came.
Notably, the three Congress MLAs — Ansari, Kachhap and Kongari — were arrested with Rs 49 lakhs by West Bengal police on July 30, 2022. Their colleague, Anoop Singh, had lodged an FIR with the Argora police station in Ranchi on July 31 accusing the three MLAs of offering him Rs 10 crore and a ministerial berth to topple the current state government led by Hemant Soren.
The ED started an investigation into the case under the PMLA based on the FIR. All three Congress MLAs under question are suspended by the party. The ED issued summons to Ansari, Kachhap and Kongari but all of them have not appeared and sought more time.