A Rs 1-crore lottery prize gained by a Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA’s spouse has sparked a brand new political row in West Bengal, with the Opposition levelling accusations of cash laundering towards the ruling celebration. She is the second individual linked to the TMC to win the highest prize within the lottery in as a few years. The TMC has dismissed the allegations and hit again on the BJP.
Jorasanko MLA Vivek Gupta’s spouse Ruchika on August 31 gained the primary prize in a lottery run by the Nagaland authorities. The “DEAR Authorities Lotteries” run in Sikkim, Nagaland, and West Bengal. The information of Ruchika’s win got here to mild after West Bengal’s Chief of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday tweeted about it and took a dig at TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, who’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew (or “bhaipo” in Bengali).
“I’ve been saying this all alongside that Pricey (Bhaipo) Lottery and TMC have a tangled relationship. It’s a straightforward strategy to launder cash. Frequent individuals purchase tickets however TMC leaders win bumper prizes. First Anubrata Mondal gained the jackpot and now TMC MLA Vivek Gupta’s spouse has gained one crore.”
The BJP chief additionally posted a letter he wrote to Union Residence Minister Amit Shah on November 8, 2021, lengthy earlier than the information of Ruchika’s win surfaced.
The “DEAR Authorities Lotteries” firm not too long ago introduced the names of winners in a newspaper commercial. Based on it, Ruchika Gupta purchased ticket quantity “81K 13988” from the corporate and gained the primary prize. Within the commercial, Ruchika was quoted as saying that she was stunned to know she had gained and had by no means imagined she would have Rs 1 crore in her checking account. She additionally thanked the Nagaland authorities and Pricey Authorities Lotteries and claimed that she would use the cash to enhance her household’s monetary standing.
“The poor individuals of West Bengal are being lured by the prospect of successful simple cash and have gotten addicted whereas the fortunate winners appear to be the lottery firm and TMC leaders,” Adhikari advised the media.
In December 2021, the TMC’s Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal gained Rs 1-crore money in the identical lottery. On the time, after his photos of successful the highest prize surfaced on social media, Mondal refused to talk to reporters. He’s at the moment in jail custody in a cattle smuggling case.
Calling on central companies to research Ruchika’s win, state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar mentioned, “It’s the Bhaipo lottery, not DEAR lottery. Let the ED (Enforcement Directorate) examine and learn the way many individuals are concerned in it. If central companies examine, the actual culprits might be uncovered.”
Hitting out on the Opposition celebration, senior TMC chief and state minister Firhad Hakim mentioned, “The whole lot can’t be politicised. It’s the Earnings Tax Division’s job to research if somebody has made a false declaration. If you’re so keen then ship a grievance to the Earnings Tax Division.”
MLA Vivek Gupta labelled the BJP’s feedback a “private assault”. The ED has contacted the legislator and is quickly prone to query him. Mentioned Gupta, “It’s shameful to focus on a personal citizen. Her crime is she purchased a lottery ticket and the second crime is being declared a winner. If this can be a crime, then one lakh individuals have performed this crime and motion needs to be taken towards all of them. The ED contacted me and I welcomed them. The Supreme Court docket and the federal government have given them energy, to allow them to.”
Based on the web site of the Nagaland State Lottery Organisation, the outcomes are declared each day at 1 pm, 6 pm and eight pm. The title and movie of the winner are revealed on the web site thrice each day.
A TMC chief mentioned, “Anybody should purchase a lottery ticket legally. Now, if any company is suspicious that via lottery black cash has been transformed into white then they’re free to research. The company can serve them a discover. Furthermore, Ruchika Gupta will not be a TMC chief. If companies have suspicions a few cash path, they’ll probe the matter.”
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh questioned the Centre for permitting lotteries to be run and mentioned if there was something unlawful the federal government ought to ban lotteries.
Sources mentioned the lottery firm and its winners have been on the ED’s radar. Nonetheless, no case has been registered but. The investigative company has again and again probed cash laundering allegations towards a number of TMC leaders, together with in ongoing inquiries in instances of alleged coal pilferage case and cattle smuggling.