Minister admits to links with ‘love jihad’ accused

Ranchi: Jharkhand minister Hazi Hussain Ansari on Tuesday admitted that he had links with Raqibul Khan aka Ranjit Kohli, but said he did not know what he was up to.
Aat a press conference at his residdence, Ansdari said: “I had gone to bless his wife and him after they married. I also once had dinner at his house when I asked him the couple had married with both Hindu and Muslim rituals.He did not give a clear answer,” said Ansari who holds the minority affairs, building construction and co-operative portfolios in the Hemant Soren government.
Ansari, however, denied that he had personal connections with Kohli. “In June 2014, Kohli was introduced me to as the chief of an NGO working for tree plantation and requested me to help him execute of some work. I asked him to do the project in my district, Deoghar, where such plantations are required. He continued to be in touxh with me from then onward, but we never had friendly relations,” he said.
National shooter Tara Shahdeo had claimed, after she lodged an FIR against Kohli, that he was in touch with Ansari, RJD leader and minister Suresh Paswan and former assembly speaker Inder Singh Namdhari who used to visit his house.
Suresh Paswan is also likely to address a press conference to put his stand before the media. Police has questioned all of them on phone and also plan to interrogate them.
Ansari comes from Deoghar district, from where one judge has been found to be in Khan’s touch. Meanwhile police came across names of more powerful people while investigating 36 sim cards found at his house during a raid .