RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav’s daughter Misa Bharti today finally appeared before the Income Tax sleuths here in connection with the over Rs 1,000-crore benami property deals case. According to reports, Bharti, who is also a Rajya Sabha member, was grilled by I-T officials for around seven hour.
She appeared before the IT Department officials a day after the department attached over 12 properties of her relatives, including husband Shailesh Kumar, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav and others under the Benami Transactions Act, 1988.
The I-T 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 Benami Transactions Act, 1988, that came into force on November 1 last year.
Earlier this month, Misa Bharti had skipped the department's summons twice -- on June 6 and 12. Her husband also skipped the summons on June 7 and 12.
The I-T 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, Health Minister 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.
