ED summons Lalu Prasad’s son-in-law in Rs8,000 money laundering probe

A day after the Enforcement Directorate questioned RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter Misa Bharti over doubtful wealth, the central agency has now issued summon to RJD chief's son-in-law Shailesh Kumar, in a case involving alleged money laundering of Rs8,000 crore by Delhi-based businessmen.

The latest summons comes a day after Lalu's daughter Misa Bharti was questioned by the ED for eight hours on Tuesday, which, the agency officials later said, was also related to the Rs8,000 crore money laundering probe.

The ED had on 8 July conducted searches at three Delhi farmhouses of Bharti, her husband Shailesh Kumar and their firm in connection with probe being conducted by the agency against Delhi-based businessmen brothers, Surendra Kumar Jain and Virendra Jain, and others who are alleged to have laundered several crore rupees using over 90 shell companies.

The Jain brothers were arrested by the ED earlier under the PMLA.

The ED is probing alleged dealings of the arrested duo with Mishail Printers and Packers Private Limited where Bharti and her husband were alleged to have been directors in the past.

The agency had found that Mishail Printers and Packers Private Limited had sold 1,20,000 shares at Rs100 apiece to four shell companies - Shalini Holdings Limited, Ad-Fin Capital Services (India) Pvt Ltd, Mani Mala Delhi Properties Pvt Ltd and Diamond Vinimay Pvt Ltd - during 2007-08.

These 1,20,000 shares were allegedly bought back by Bharti at Rs10 per share.

According to the ED official, same money was used to purchase farmhouse in Bijwasan at a low price of Rs1.41 crore in 2008-09, whereas its actual value was above Rs50 crore.

Meanwhile, the CBI had last week raided multiple premises of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo, his wife Rabri Devi and two sons - Tejashwi and Tej Pratap Yadav - who are ministers in Bihar government for allegedly receiving a three-acre plot of land as a quid pro quo for leasing out two railway hotels to a private company when Lalu Prasad was the railways minister in the UPA government.

Last month, the Income Tax department had attached over 12 properties of Misa Bhart's relatives, including her husband, and brothers under the Benami Act.

The ED had also arrested Rajesh Agarwal, a chartered accountant allegedly linked to Bharti, who provided accommodation entries (black money) of about Rs60 lakh to Mishail Printers and Packers Private Limited.