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Jitin Ram Manjhi's Son Caught By Police With Unexplained Cash

Jitin Ram Manjhi's Son Caught By Police With Unexplained Cash
PATNA, INDIA JUNE 23: Former Bihar Chief Minister and Chief of newly launched party Hindustani Awam Morcha Jitan Ram Manjhi during the Hindustan Bihar Samagam organized by the HT Group on June 23, 2015 in Patna, India. (Photo by Arun Abhi Abhi/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Hindustan Times via Getty Images
PATNA, INDIA JUNE 23: Former Bihar Chief Minister and Chief of newly launched party Hindustani Awam Morcha Jitan Ram Manjhi during the Hindustan Bihar Samagam organized by the HT Group on June 23, 2015 in Patna, India. (Photo by Arun Abhi Abhi/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

In a major embarrassment for ex-Chief Minister of Bihar, Jitan Ram Manjhi, ahead of the Bihar polls, his son Shubham Kumar was allegedly arrested, according to the Hindustan Times, after being apprehended with Rs 4.65 lakh in cash in a car. There are conflicting reports on whether his name is Shubham or Praveen Kumar.

The Press Trust of India reported that during routine checking of vehicles, the police intercepted a car at Gaya-Jehanabad check post near Umta village and seized Rs 4.65 lakh in cash from Manjhi's son, who was on his way to Patna from Gaya, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Md. Ashfaq Ansari said.

Kumar was detained and taken to Makdumpur police station for questioning after he failed to give a satisfactory reply about the purpose for carrying the cash, he said.

Senior police and civil officials have gone to Makdumpur police station to question Kumar, Ansari said.

Manjhi, the former chief minister, who is also the President of Hindustani Awam Morcha, or HAM, (Secular), is in New Delhi for seat-sharing talks with BJP.

With less than a month to polling in Bihar, parties have started tightening their alliances and investing in appearing more consolidated and coherent to their voters.

The Daily News And Analysis reports that the Bharatiya Janata Party may have reached a deal with former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, who's been demanding more seats to ally. "Instead of 162 seats, sources said the BJP has now settled down to contest on 157 seats which is still a major chunk in the 243-member Assembly, leaving 86 for the allies in the final agreement being carved at the residence of its president Amit Shah," according to a report in the paper.

However Jitin Ram Manjhi was reportedly still upset over the relatively few seats were under his control, considering that he was once the chief minister of Bihar.

The Hindustan Times quoted Asian News International as saying that Shubham Manjhi was carrying the money for payments for his under construction house at Hanuman Nagar in Patna.

HAM spokesperson Danish Rizwan, on the other hand, said the money was meant for payment for paying contractors working at Shubham’s upcoming house in Jehanabad.

“Subham has shown papers concerning it. I don’t think there is much in it and he will be released soon,” Rizwan said.

(With agency inputs)

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