Lalu’s daughter in deep trouble; ED attaches Misa Bharti’s farmhouse in Money Laundering case

New Delhi, February 26: The Enforcement Department (ED) on Sunday attached a farmhouse that belonged to RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s daughter and Rajya Sabha Member Misa Bharti in a money laundering case.

 

Notably, the Adjudicating Authority of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) said that the Delhi farmhouse, attached by the Enforcement Directorate in the name of Misha Bharti and her husband, is involved in money laundering and ordered that the attachment of the asset should continue. The move comes a month after ED filed a second charge sheet in a money laundering case before a Delhi court.

An official spokesperson of ED confirmed the raid saying that the searches were on at the farmhouse located at Ghitorni on the outskirts of the national capital. “The ED team will also interrogate Misa Bharati in this case,” he added.

However, a day before the raid, Misa Bharti was interrogated by the Income Tax officials for over five hours in connection with over Rs 1000 crore benami land deals case. Earlier, in the month of January, the ED had filed a second charge sheet in connection with alleged Rs. 8000 crore money laundering case before a Delhi court.

On July 21 last year, the Enforcement Directorate had filed a charge sheet against Bharti's Chartered Accountant (CA) Rajesh Agarwal in connection with an Rs 8,000 crore money laundering case. Earlier on July 11, Misa Bharti was questioned by the ED officials in connection with the case. Misa's husband Shailesh Kumar was also grilled by the ED in the case.

Also, the Income Tax department issued a final attachment order against Bharti and her husband in the benami property case. Misa was asked to bring along certain documents, including those related to her personal finances. On July 8, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided three Delhi premises of Bharti, her husband and a firm allegedly linked to them in the money laundering probe involving shell companies.

Interestingly, the ED is the third central probing body investigating the alleged financial irregularities by Prasad's family after the CBI and the Income Tax department. On the other side, RJD Supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav is currently lodged in Ranchi's Birsa Munda jail after being convicted in cases of fodder scam.