EC seeks action on 4 for unaccounted cash during 2019 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections

The bureaucrats include IPS officers Sushobhan Banerjee, Sanjay and V Madhu Kumar and state police officer Arun Mishra.

The Election Commission ordered Madhya Pradesh chief election officer on Wednesday to lodge a criminal case against four bureaucrats for their alleged role in the use of black money during the 2019 assembly elections in the state.

The Commission has directed the chief electoral officer of Madhya Pradesh to lodge criminal action with the Economic Offences Wing. (HT File Photo)

The bureaucrats include IPS officers Sushobhan Banerjee, Sanjay and V Madhu Kumar and state police officer Arun Mishra. “(The) Commission deliberated upon a report, received from the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), intimating its search operations in Madhya Pradesh and its findings of extensive use of unaccounted cash during the General Elections 2019 in Madhya Pradesh,” the EC said.

“It is reported that these entities/individuals engaged in unauthorized and unaccounted cash contributions to individuals on behalf of certain political party, which is reported to be corroborated during searches against persons by Income Tax department under Section 132 of the Income Tax Act, 1961...”

The Commission has directed the chief electoral officer of Madhya Pradesh to lodge criminal action with the Economic Offences Wing. It has also asked the Chief Secretary, Madhya Pradesh for similar action against State officer. “It was a search and seizure operation carried out by the CBDT. The Commission has found actionable evidence in the report,” said an EC official.

Banerjee allegedly received Rs25 lakh from Pratik Joshi, whose residence was raided by the income tax department last year. Joshi was known to be a close associate of Ashwani Sharma, an alleged power broker. They were purportedly in touch with Kamal Nath’s aide and former officer on special duty Pravin Kakkar. Kakkar is currently under investigation by the Income Tax department.

According to the CBDT report, Mane received Rs30 lakh, Mishra 7.5 crore and Kumar got over 13 crore. Congress claimed that money seized belonged to the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders. On April 9, 2019, Kamal Nath alleged that the BJP was trying to exert pressure on him. Congress MLA PC Sharma said, “BJP-led central government is misusing the central investigating agencies for a long time. But now the government has started pressurising ECI to work in the favour of BJP. This is nothing but a conspiracy against Congress.”