RANCHI: In a major relief to BJP MP Dhulu Mahto, the Jharkhand High Court on Friday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought an investigation into his alleged disproportionate assets.
A division bench headed by Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad ruled the petition as non-maintainable and declined to admit it. The court had earlier reserved its verdict after hearing arguments from both parties.
The PIL, filed by one Somnath Chatterjee, had urged the court to direct the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Income Tax Department and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Jharkhand Police to conduct a thorough probe into Mahto’s assets.
Chatterjee alleged that the BJP MP had amassed property worth Rs 670 crore since becoming an MLA and failed to disclose accurate details of his assets in election affidavits. He also claimed Mahto held several benami properties.
The court, however, found no grounds to admit the plea and rejected the request for an independent agency probe.