Nearly three months after the Ranchi police arrested three persons for conspiring to destabilise the Hemant Soren government in Jharkhand, a former treasurer of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), once a confidant of the chief minister, has been booked by the police on a complaint by a party legislator for allegedly luring him with money to break away and help the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) form the government.

According to the FIR (first information report) lodged by the police on October 12 on a complaint by senior JMM legislator Ramdas Soren, Ravi Kejriwal offered him money and other benefits if he was willing to help bring down the government.

Kejriwal, a former treasurer of JMM, was suspended from the party in August last year.

Ranchi’s senior superintendent of police Surendra Kumar Jha said, “An FIR has been registered with the Dhurwa police station. The matter is being investigated. Further action would be taken accordingly.”

Ramdas Soren told Hindustan Times on Tuesday that he had filed his complaint through his personal assistant on October 9 and the FIR was registered on October 12. Sources said the case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Hatia additional superintendent of police Vineet Kumar has been made investigating officer in the case.

Ramdas said he was Kejriwal came to his his official residence a few weeks back and offered him money and a ministerial berth if he breaks away and helps BJP form a new government. He said he filed the complaint after informing his party’s senior leadership.

“Being from the same party, we have known each other for long. Kejriwal came to my official residence in Dhurwa along with another person, Ashok Agrawal, whom I don’t know. He said he was in touch with other legislators as well. I told him in clear terms he was knocking on wrong doors,” the MLA from Ghatshila said.

Kejriwal could not be contacted.

On July 25 this year, Ranchi police had arrested three persons, Abhishek Dubey, Amit Singh and Niwaran Prasad Mahto, for allegedly conspiring to overthrow the coalition government of the JMM, Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Jharkhand.

They were arrested on a complaint by Congress MLA from Bermo, Anup Singh alias Kumar Jaimangal. The police had claimed they had confessed that they planned to contact political personalities and offer them cash.

The police had declared to have seized ₹2 lakh in cash, documents and electronic equipment from the accused. The police, however, are yet to file charge sheet in the case. Ranchi SSP said investigation in the case was still on.

JMM, BJP trade fire

Reacting to the fresh case, JMM said they are not surprised by the “dirty tricks” of the BJP, which, in turn, described the new case as a diversionary tactic by the Soren government.

“Who all are involved would be known only after police investigation. However, BJP started its dirty tricks the day the Soren government came to power. State BJP leaders often make statements that this government would fall soon. How? They should explain that,” said JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey.

Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said, “This government has a knack for coming up with such conspiracy theories every few months. Similar allegations were made few months back. What happened in that case, nobody knows. This government has failed to deliver on electoral promises. Whenever they are cornered over any issue or there are rumblings within the alliance, they come up with such diversionary tactics. And this time, the allegation is against their own leader,” he said.

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