CBI files chargesheet against six in 'cash-for-vote' case

RANCHI: The CBI today filed chargesheet against six persons, including an MLA and two industrialists, in the horse trading case that forced Election Commission of India to hold Rajya Sabha elections afresh after scraping its original poll notification in 2012.

The chargesheet was filed in the special CBI court here against JMM MLA Sita Soren, her father B Majhi, the then Independent candidates and industrialists R K Agarwal and Pawan Kumar Dhoot and Dhoot's agent Sunil Kumar Maheswari and one Rajendra Mandal, CBI officer A K Jha said.

The chargesheet accused the JMM MLA of taking Rs 1.5 crore from Agarwal in lieu of casting her vote in his favour in the scraped 2012 Rajya Sabha elections and that her father allegedly had taken one crore rupees out of the booty before leaving home in Odisha, said Jha.

Agarwal, president of Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is in judicial custody from May 14.

The chargesheet also accused another independent candidate Dhoot of alluring voters with money if they cast vote in his favour, Jha said quoting the chargesheet.

After countermanding the RS polls for two seats following the seizure of Rs 2.15 crore from a car and the police alleging that it belonged to Agarwal's relative, the ECI conducted the polling afresh.