Babulal Marandi asks Jharkhand governor to start CBI probe

Ranchi: A delegation of opposition parties in the state led by former chief minister Babulal Marandi called upon governor Droupadi Murmu on Thursday to seek her intervention in launching a CBI probe into the alleged wrongdoings of the government in the recently held Rajya Sabha election.
The delegation included leaders from JMM, RJD, JD(U) and the Left.The members of the delegation said only a CBI probe or a special investigation team headed by a high court judge can unravel the truth in the matter as it involves allegations against chief minister Raghubar Das and ADG (special branch) Anurag Gupta. A memorandum requesting a high-level investigation was also placed before the governor.
Marandi said, "We have evidence that a meeting between Yogendra Sao, a former Congress minister and husband of MLA Nirmala Devi, and the chief minister was arranged by Gupta." Last week, Marandi had released a CD which had audio and visual clippings of the purported meeting between Das and Sao ahead of the election. Congress leader Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said Rule 5 of Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, says the police must not assist any political activity and should not be associated with any political party. "The police officer should be sacked," said Prasad. In the polls, two BJP candidates - Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Mahesh Poddar - defeated the opposition-backed JMM candidate Basant Soren.
To corner the government over the issue, the opposition parties have decided to approach the Election Commission with the demand to countermand the elections. Former Union minister Subodh Kant Sahay, JD-U Rajya Sabha MP Haribansh, RJD's state chief Gautam Sagar Rana and Marandi will call upon chief election commissioner on Friday.