LALU’S DAUGHTER ON ED RADAR IN SHELL COMPANY PROBE

Misa Bharti, daughter of former Bihar Chief Ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi, will be questioned by the Enforcement Directorate along with her husband Shailesh Kumar for allegedly amassing benami properties and running shell companies. The Sunday Guardian was the first to make public the news about their alleged shell companies in the report Lalu’s daughter, sons concealed information in election affidavits (16 April).

Misa, a Rajya Sabha member from her father’s Rashtriya Janata Dal, and Shailesh have been asked by the Income Tax Department to appear before it on 6 and 7 June.

One of the shell companies that Misa allegedly did not disclose in her election affidavit was identified as New Delhi’s New Friends Colonybased Mischail (apparently a combination of Misa and Shailesh). Her brothers, Tejashwi and Tej Pratap, both ministers in the Bihar government, are owners of over 40 companies. Officials aware of the development claimed they would be questioned after Misa appears before the I-T Department.

The alleged money laundering done by three of Lalu’s nine children came to light after Misa’s chartered accountant, Rajesh Aggarwal was arrested and the ED interrogated him for three days. Aggarwal allegedly helped the Lalu family to float shell companies and invest their alleged black money in them. Before the ED swung into action, the Income Tax department had searched around 20 residential and business premises belonging to Lalu Yadav’s immediate family members and business partners. Officials said on the condition of anonymity that the investigation has been approved