Hours before the start of Rajya Sabha polling in Jharkhand on Friday, Rs 2.15 crore in cash was seized from a car owned by the brother of an independent candidate, sparking pandemonium in the assembly over the allegation of horse-trading.
"The cash was seized near Rampur Haat under Namkum police station between in the morning from the car," Income Tax department's Jharkhand Director Ajay Kumar told PTI.
"The car belongs to Suresh Agarwal, the younger brother of RK Agarwal," he added.
During interrogation of Suresh and another occupant of the car, they claimed that the cash had come from Prakash Khemani's place at Jamshedpur, Kumar said.
RK Agarwal is one of the two independent candidates for Rajya Sabha elections from Jharkhand while Prakash Khemani is related to Agarwal.
A Jamshedpur report quoting IT department sources said raids were on in the residence and office of Khemani.
Another IT team was also being conducted in the premises of industrialist R K Sah, a relative of Agarwal, the sources said refusing to divulge details.
Meanwhile, pandemonium prevailed in the Jharkhand assembly following the recovery of the cash and Speaker CP Singh had to adjourn the house several times.
As soon the house convened in the morning, opposition MLAs trooped to the well shouting slogans against horse trading and demanding a reply from the government.
The speaker first adjourned the house for 15 minutes and then till 2 pm. However, as the situation did not change, he adjourned the house till tomorrow.
