RJD leader quizzed over hawala link in failed bid to topple NDA government in Bihar
PATNA: The Economic Offences Unit (EOU), an anti-corruption wing of the Bihar Police, has tightened its noose around RJD leader Engineer Sunil alias Sunil Singh for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to topple the NDA government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during the floor test on 12 February last year.
The EOU on Tuesday summoned Engineer Sunil to its office in the state capital and questioned him for more than three hours. A questionnaire was prepared for his formal questioning. On Saturday, an EOU team pasted notices at Engineer Sunil’s residences in Kidwaipuri, Patna, and Saidullahpur in Vaishali district, directing him to appear before the probe agency.
Engineer Sunil is known to be closely associated with RJD leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. He has been accused of making an abortive attempt to topple the NDA government by gaining the confidence of some JD(U) MLAs to vote against the ruling coalition during the floor test in the state assembly.
The EOU’s action against Engineer Sunil is seen as an attempt by the ruling dispensation to exert pressure on the Opposition ahead of the assembly elections due in October-November this year. Sources said the EOU is likely to summon several other leaders based on the information obtained from Engineer Sunil.
The alleged horse-trading attempt came to light after Sudhanshu Shekhar, JD(U) MLA from Harlakhi in Madhubani district, lodged an FIR against a party colleague at Kotwali police station in the state capital on 11 February 2024. He alleged that he was offered a bribe of Rs 10 crore and a ministerial berth for switching over to the RJD-led Grand Alliance ahead of the trust vote.
Shekhar named his party colleague and MLA Sanjeev Kumar in the FIR as an accused. In the complaint, the JD(U) MLA also alleged that two fellow MLAs were kidnapped and that an inducement of ₹10 crore was offered as part of a plot to buy votes. Shekhar specifically accused MLAs Bima Bharti and Dilip Rai of being kidnapped for this purpose.
On the day of the floor test, three JD(U) MLAs, including Bima Bharti, arrived late at the assembly and were unable to participate in the Speaker's election, prompting the NDA government to initiate a thorough investigation. The case was subsequently handed over to the EOU.
On 28 January 2024, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar dumped the RJD-led Grand Alliance and re-joined hands with the BJP to form the NDA government in Bihar.
“During preliminary investigation, allegations of making payments to some MLAs through hawala transactions were found to be true. Evidence of MLAs receiving payments in advance to vote against the NDA by shifting their loyalty towards the RJD-led alliance was found,” an investigating officer said.
The conspiracy to topple the government involved individuals from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Nepal. It is alleged that the MLAs would have received the full payment through hawala channels across different states had the government lost the trust vote in the state assembly on 12 February 2024.
DIG, EOU, Manavjeet Singh Dhillon earlier said that the police had found evidence of a money trail linked to the alleged horse-trading attempt. The payments were allegedly made to ensure that these MLAs would support the Opposition, Grand Alliance (GA), which could have led to the fall of the NDA government.
The investigation is ongoing, and the EOU’s revelations highlight a serious attempt to manipulate the political process in Bihar. If the accusations are proven, they could further deepen political tensions in the state, raising questions about the influence of external forces on Bihar’s governance.