Benami land deals: Misa Bharti quizzed by IT officials for 5 hours

Income Tax officials on Wednesday quizzed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad's daughter Misa Bharti for five hours in connection with an over Rs 1,000-crore benami (proxy) land deals case, an official said.

After skipping the department's summons twice earlier this month -- on June 6 and 12 -- Bharti appeared before the officials on Wednesday. Her husband, who also skipped the summons on June 7 and 12, accompanied her to the IT office here.

Bharti's appearance before the IT officials comes a day after the department attached over 12 properties of her relatives, including husband Shailesh Kumar, brothers Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav, and others under the Benami Transactions Act, 1988.

The IT Department had on Tuesday attached two assets of Lalu Prasad's kin in Delhi and several properties in Bihar after the department issued a provisional order under the 1988 act, which came into force on November 1 last year.

"She (Bharti) was asked about her company Mishail Packers and Printers Pvt Ltd, which is believed to be a shell company. She was also asked about the various loans she had taken, without any collateral security, to buy various companies," the IT officials said.

He, however, declined to share any further details.

The department's action came in the wake of the May 16 searches at 22 places in and around Delhi in connection with the alleged benami property deals involving RJD chief and his children Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav and Misa Bharti.

Besides Lalu Prasad's residence, IT officials carried out searches at the residence of party MP P.C. Gupta as well as several businessmen and real estate agents in Delhi and Haryana's Gurugram and Rewari.

Allegations of corruption against Lalu Prasad's wife former Chief Minister Rabri Devi and their children were raised by senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi.

On May 22, the Enforcement Directorate arrested a chartered accountant, Rajesh Kumar Agrawal, allegedly linked to Misa Bharti and others, from Delhi.

--IANS

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