Bankura cop held in coal case; BJP, TMC spar over audio tape claims
KOLKATA/BANKURA: The Enforcement Directorate late on Saturday arrested Bankura police station inspector-in-charge (IC) Ashok Mishra in the ongoing illegal coal mining probe.
Three weeks back, police had arrested Vikas Mishra, brother of Vinay Mishra, implicated by both ED and CBI as among the key accused in the case.
On Sunday, BJP, citing an audio tape conversation, alleged that the “real” beneficiaries were political patrons of those being probed; Trinamool Congress dubbed the allegations “unverifiable and wild” and “an act of desperation”.
The CBI, which too is probing the case, has already questioned the Bankura police officer. Earlier, ED had summoned him twice but he cited health reasons for not appearing before the agency.
Three weeks back, Ashok reached New Delhi for treatment. On Saturday, the agency asked him to appear at its office in New Delhi. After questioning him for more than seven hours, agency officials arrested him. The ED has sought six days’ custody of Ashok. Incidentally, Vikas too was arrested in New Delhi. The cop is related to the Mishra brothers, sources said.
