Income Tax searches premises linked to RJD Rajya Sabha MP in Bihar

Income Tax sleuths on Wednesday raided premises linked to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Rajya Sabha MP Ahmad Ashfaque Karim at multiple locations in Bihar on Wednesday.

The MP is the main trustee and the founder chancellor of Katihar-based Al Karim University, Bihar.

Officials were tightlipped about the raids.

It may be recalled that the probe agency had earlier raided the premises of Karim in connection with the land for job scam involving RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and his family members.

A statement by the department said, "Patna directorate started the search action at Al Karim Educational Trust, which runs and manages Al Karim University and Katihar Medical College. Main office of the trust is in Patna. The trust also runs a school of paramedical and allied health sciences, school of information technology and management. Main trustee is Ahmad Ashfaque Karim, who is the founder chancellor of Al Karim University and also a sitting MP of Rajya Sabha".

"Teams are searching their office records and computers and it is too early to give any leads. Teams of IT officers/officials from Bihar, Jharkhand, and Delhi have been inducted for the operation and security cover has been provided by a central paramilitary force", it said.

However, despite repeated attempts by PTI, Karim could not be contacted for his comments on IT searches at the premises linked to him.

In another development, IT sleuths also searched several premises linked to Purnea-based Milia Education Trust in Purnea, Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur.

"Searches were conducted on premises of Milia Group of Purnea (Bihar), which runs and manages the Milia Educational Trust in Purnea, Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur districts. The main trustees are Asad Imam, Syed Gulam Hussain, Quaisar Imam, Md. Wasim, Ozair Ahmad and Javed Danish", a statement by the IT department said.