PILs against Soren: CBI books Kolkata bizman, cops for filing false FIRs

THE FIR WAS FILED FOLLOWING A PRELIMINARY INQUIRY ON THE ORDER OF J’KHAND HIGH COURT ON NOVEMBER 30

RANCHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR against Kolkata-based businessman Amit Agrawal and officials of the Kolkata Police for allegedly lodging a false case against Ranchi-based lawyer Rajeev Kumar, who is representing a petitioner in two PILs seeking CBI and ED probes against Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren in Jharkhand high court.

HT reached out to Kolkata Police officials for a comment but did not get one.

The FIR was filed after a preliminary inquiry on the direction of the high court on November 30. Besides Agrawal, CBI named ”unknown officials of Kolkata Police” and “unknown others” as accused in the FIR, registered in Delhi. Agrawal on July 31 last year filed a case with Hare Street police station in Kolkata against Kumar and Shiv Shankar Sharma, the petitioner in the two PILs against Soren. The complaint was that Kumar demanded a bribe of ₹10 crore for getting a PIL against a local business dismissed in Jharkhand high court.

Kumar was arrested by Kolkata Police on the same day while receiving ₹50 lakh from Agrawal.

In its FIR, CBI said that it was entrapment and that Agrawal used the services of another person, Sonu Agrawal, to trap the lawyer. “…Enquiry further revealed that the information provided by Agrawal to Hare

Street police station was false and the bribe was given to Kumar by alluring him with an intention to interfere with the judicial process. Contrary to the allegations made in the complaint to Hare Street PS, it was Agrawal who called Kumar to Kolkata through Sonu Agrawal and offered him money. Further, the conversation (with Kumar) recorded by Agrawal also does not reveal any threat for extortion from Kumar,” CBI said in its preliminary enquiry (PE), based on which the FIR was registered on January 18.

It added that “Agrawal had called Kumar to Kolkata and offered and gave him ₹50 lakhs to induce public servant to get the PIL dismissed.” CBI also alleged that Agrawal in March 2022 tried to influence the lawyer in connection with the PILs against Soren through the then Ranchi deputy commissioner.

Sharma, represented by Kumar, filed two PILs in 2021 and 2022, seeking prosecution of Soren for owning a mining lease (which is a violation of the office of profit legislation) and, a CBI and ED probe into alleged money laundering by Soren’s family through shell companies operated by Agrawal and others.