The court of Anuj Kumar of Ranchi civil court on Thursday refereed the application of Ranchi police to the special court of Anti-Corruption Bureau in which police had sought permission to add sections of Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) against former Chief Minister Raghubar Das, ADG Anurag Gupta and the then CM’s press advisor Ajay Kumar in 2016 Rajya Sabha horse trading case.

The Ranchi Police on June 2 had requested the court to add PCA act. 

Appearing on behalf of Ranchi police, senior public prosecutor Jaya Toppo told the court that this is a fit case to be PCA act. The public prosecutor informed the court that the investigating officer has gathered enough evidence in this regard adding that the accused were public servants when they had committed this crime.  

The ACB court will now take-up the matter for further hearing and decision. 

They were accused of influencing the Rajya Sabha poll in the favour of the BJP candidates. An FIR was lodged at Jagganathpur police station on March 29, 2018, when the president of the then JVM Babulal Marandi had released audio clips of Anurag Gupta and Ajay Kumar.

They are allegedly heard talking to former Congress MLA Yogendra Sao asking them to convince his MLA wife Nirmala Devi to vote for the BJP candidate. Besides, a video of the then CM with Sao became public. The FIR was lodged against Gupta and Kumar.

In subsequent Assembly elections the BJP lost power in Jharkhand. The JMM led UPA combined formed the government and Hemant Soren became the Chief Minister.

The investigation was freshly reviewed and Raghubar Das was added among the accused. The investigation is being monitored by the CID of Jharkhand Police. Gupta was suspended by the Government.