After Lalu, ED raids Misa Bharti’s properties

Keeping up the pressure on Lalu Prasad and a day after raiding several places in connection with a hotel scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday searched the former Bihar CM’s daughter Misa Bharti’s residence in Delhi in an ongoing money laundering case. The raids were conducted at three locations, including her home in Sainik Farm.

Misa Bharti and her husband Shailash Kumar are involved in an alleged benami land deal case and were called for questioning by tax officials in June. The income-tax department has attached a total of 12 plots of Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar, Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav and ex-chief minister Rabri Devi, and her sisters Ragini and Chanda Yadav. One farmhouse in Delhi and one bungalow in New Friends Colony are have also been attached.

The market value of the total attached property is worth Rs 175 crore, whereas the book value of the attached property is Rs 9.32 crore. The I-T department had earlier seized benami properties of Misa Bharti, Shailesh Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav.

Two summons to Misa were also issued, but after she failed to appear, the I-T department proceeded to seize the properties which were raided in May.

On June 13, the I-T department summoned Shailesh Kumar in connection with the benami assets and tax evasion case registered against him. On June 7, the IT department slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 against Shailesh on account of not appearing for interrogation.