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National Games ‘scam’: CBI searches ex-minister’s houses, other locations in Jharkhand
The CBI on Thursday conducted searches at 16 locations, including the residence of Jharkhand’s former sports minister and Bandhu Tirkey, in the case of alleged irregularities in multi-crore equipment purchases for the 34th National Games held here in 2011, officials said.
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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday conducted searches at 16 locations, including the residence of Jharkhand’s former sports minister and Bandhu Tirkey, in the case of alleged irregularities in multi-crore equipment purchases for the 34th National Games held here in 2011, officials said.
Tirkey is currently one of the four working presidents of Jharkhand Congress. He was in New Delhi for a party meeting when a CBI team visited his two residences in Ranchi on Thursday, an aide in his office said.
A CBI team reached Tirkey’s personal house in Banhaura area on the outskirts of Ranchi just after dawn and later visited his official residence in Morhabadi area of the state capital.
“At Banhaura residence, the team asked general questions about his tenure of sports minister. At the Morhabadi residence, the team also scanned through documents,” an office employee of Tirkey said.
Earlier this year, Tirkey was disqualified as a member of the Jharkhand legislative Assembly after being convicted by a special CBI court in a disproportionate assets case.
On Wednesday, the Election Commission of India notified by-election for Mandar assembly seat, represented by Tirkey thrice, along with Lok Sabha and assembly bypolls in other states.
In April, the Jharkhand High Court had ordered CBI probe while disposing a public interest investigation (PIL), transferring the case from the state’s anti-corruption bureau (ACB) to the federal probe agency. The ACB had arrested Tirkey in September 2019 in connection with the case. Tirkey had got bail from Jharkhand High Court thereafter.
In a statement on Thursday, the federal agency said that besides Tirkey, the CBI also searched the premises of noted lawyer R K Anand, who was the working chairman of the National Games Organising Committee, which is based in the national capital. The premises of former director of sports in Jharkhand, P C Mishra, organising secretary of national games Madhukant Pathak and organising secretary H M Hashmi are also being searched, officials said.
Seven places in Ranchi and five locations in Dhanbad are also being searched, they said.
While Tirkey could not be contacted for his comment, Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur described the development as political vendetta.
“It seems the BJP wants to win bypolls using the central agencies. The ECI notified by poll yesterday and they came knocking this morning. Why did they not even bother to inform the leader or issue a summon before raiding his residence. We don’t oppose any action against corruption, but there should not be misuse of agencies the way it is being done now,” said Thakur.
