Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, April 29: Nine persons including a woman from Kolkata have been jailed in connection with the sensational Hotel Alcor incident that came to light on Saturday, April 25. Prominent businessmen Rajesh alias Laddu Mangotia, Deepak Agrawal, Rajat Jaggi, Raju Bhalotia, Sharad Poddar, Rahul Agrawal, hotel owner Rajiv Duggal and Alcor manager Dhananjay Singh along with the woman staying in room no 402 of the hotel have been sent to jail.
It may be mentioned that acting on secret information a Bistupur police team raided Hotel Alcor where the accused prominent businessmen were apprehended along with the woman. Two other women allegedly managed to escape during the police raid. Initially, among the others, Railway contractor Rajesh �Laddu� Mangotia, Deepak Agrawal and Rajat Jaggi were taken to the Bistupur police station and after interrogation were released on PR Bond. The others with the exception of Raju Bhalotia who was arrested on Tuesday, April 28, were sent to jail. They included hotelier Rajiv Duggal, the owner of Hotel Alcor.
However, on further investigation insisted upon by SSP Anoop Birtharay found deeper involvement of Rajesh Mangotia alias Laddu Mangotia, Deepak Agrawal and Rajat Jaggi into sleazy happenings in the hotel premises. Raju Bhalotia too was arrested along with the three others and sent to jail after being produced before a Judicial Magistrate.
While being taken to jail, Rajesh Mangotia, when confronted by the media denied his involvement in any sex scandal that had allegedly been going on at the hotel. On being probed further by the media he said that he had been to the hotel to play cards on three consecutive days. He added, �If found guilty of being involved in the sex scandal in any manner, let the law hang me. The channel that projected a clipping on its news line was malicious and misleading. I have nothing to do with the malicious propaganda that has been made viral.�
Media persons when pointed out to Mangotia that alcohol allegedly was being served during the time, he said, �I asked the police authorities to get me tested if I had taken alcohol but they (the police) did not.�
Meanwhile the members of the Sikh community have not taken kindly to Rajiv Duggal, prominent hotelier and owner of Hotel Alcor being arrested. A delegation of Sikh community members met the East Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner today and urged him to give Rajiv Duggal a fair hearing. They claimed that Rajiv Duggal was a victim of deep rooted conspiracy.
The Jamshedpur Chamber of Commerce and other industrialists and leading businessmen expressed surprise on the arrest of Rajiv Duggal and dubbed the incident as unfortunate.
The Jamshedpur Hotel and Restaurant Association, speaking up for Duggal had stated that the owner of such a business employing a large number of staff could not possibly keep a tab on each and every employee day in and day out. The members contended that Rajiv Duggal was being made a victim for the wrong doing of some employees behind his back. The Association has written to the state DGP and Chief Minister requesting legal action against conspirators whose actions led to the unfair jailing of the Hotel Alcor owner.
Rajesh Mangotia alias Laddu Mangotia has denied his involvement in the sex scandal but he has stated that he had been to Hotel Alcor on three consecutive days for card games. That raises an instinctive question, if going out of home to play cards is an offence under lockdown or is it not? The presence of a woman from Kolkata adds to the possibility of shady activities going on in the hotel. May be these goings on in Hotel Alcor were not on the radar of the owner. Then, was it a conspiracy whose roots go deeper? As the investigations progress, people in the know speculate that the involvement of more big fish may come to light in the police dragnet.