RJD MP's wife appears before ED in railways tender case

Sarala Gupta, wife of RJD Rajya Sabha member P.C. Gupta, on Monday deposed before the ED in connection with an ongoing probe into alleged irregularities in awarding maintenance contracts of two railway hotels to a private company by the then Railway Minister Lalu Prasad in 2006.

According to the financial probe agency, Gupta arrived at the agency's headquarters in south Delhi's Khan market area around 11 a.m.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had summoned the Rashtriya Janata Dal MP's wife for the second time on August 23 to appear before it.

She was earlier summoned on August 17 for questioning on August 21. However, she did not turn up.

The ED had on July 27 registered a separate case under Prevention of Money Laundering Act taking cognizance of the Central Bureau of Investigation FIR against RJD chief Lalu Prasad.

According to ED officials, the agency will investigate the case against Lalu Prasad and others since the accused had allegedly generated money through shell companies.

On July 5, the CBI registered a case against Lalu Prasad and his family members.

Lalu Prasad as Railway Minister in 2006 is alleged to have handed over the maintenance contract of two IRCTC hotels to Sujata Hotels after receiving a bribe in the form of prime land in Patna.

The CBI claimed that the kickback was paid through a "benami" company owned by Sarala Gupta.

--IANS

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