IT department attaches 'benami' properties of Lalu's kin

The Income Tax Department has attached 12 plots of RJD chief Lalu Prasad's daughter Misa Bharti, son-in-law Shailesh Kumar, and son and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav and others as parts of its probe in the over Rs 1,000 crore benami land deals, sources said.

According to official sources, the IT department has slapped the Benami Transactions Act, that came into force into force on November 1 last year, in the case.

Sources said that two assets in Delhi and several other properties in Bihar have been attached after the department issued a provisional order under the Benami Transactions Act.

Earlier this month, Misa Bharti and her husband had skipped the IT department summons twice.

The action comes in the wake of the May 16 searches at 22 places in and around Delhi in connection with alleged benami (proxy) property deals involving Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and his children -- Tejashwi Yadav, Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav and Misa Bharti.

Besides Lalu Prasad's residence, IT department officials also 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, in the wake of allegations by senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushil Kumar Modi, who alleged their involvement in corrupt land deals.

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

--IANS

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