CBI raids Jharkhand legislators' houses

The CBI today carried out searches at six locations in Jharkhand and Bihar including residences of three MLAs and an industrialist for alleged corruption and horse-trading during the recent Rajya Sabha elections.

The CBI on Saturday raided several places in Jharkhand, including the residences of four legislators and an industrialist, in connection with the allegations of corruption and horse-trading for the March 30 Rajya Sabha poll that was cancelled.

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Sleuths swooped down on the residences and offices of Congress legislator KN Tripathi in Palamu, JMM legislator Bishnu Prasad Bhaiya in Jamtara, and two RJD legislators, Suresh Paswan and Sanjay Yadav, in Ranchi. They confiscated valuable papers, officials said.

Raids were also conducted at the Jamshedpur residence of industrialist RK Agarwal, an independent candidate of the countermanded poll. The homes of his son-in-law Soumitra Sah and another relative in Chaibasa were also searched.

The poll was cancelled following allegations of horse-trading and recovery of Rs. 2.25 crore from a car belonging to one of Agarwal's relatives in Ranchi.