Coal smuggling case: Slain BJP leader Jha was to appear before ED on Monday

KOLKATA: In the wake of Trinamool leader Babul Supriyo’s demand for a Central agency probe against a few Bengal BJP leaders for their alleged “nexus” with the now assassinated ‘coal mafia’ and party member Raju Jha, it has come to light that Jha was supposed to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday in New Delhi.

Babul took to his Twitter handle on Sunday and alleged that Jha, who had joined BJP, was in reality a coal mafia and that several BJP leaders used to meet in a hotel owned by him.

Even as some BJP leaders chose to identify Jha as a “coal trader”, it quickly came to light that Jha had several criminal cases against him since the time of the Left Front government.

Sources in the Bengal BJP said that Jha was arrested right after he had joined the BJP and hence never actively participate in any party work.

However, following his assassination on Saturday night, it has now come to light that Jha was supposed to appear before the ED on Monday.

He was headed towards Kolkata from where he was scheduled to fly to Delhi, said sources.

The ED is probing the multi-crore coal smuggling scam in West Bengal.

Earlier, Raju Jha was questioned in the same case by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is conducting a parallel probe.

What has further come to light is that the SUV in which Jha was travelling was registered under the name of one Abdul Latif who is on the wanted list of the CBI in connection with the cattle scam. Latif is absconding.

The police are, however, yet to make any arrests in the murder case.

Sources said that the way Jha was assassinated and his killers vanished into thin air, points towards the fact that it may have been executed by trained contract killers.

Police are also looking into whether the killers boarded a train to flee after dumping their car.