Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) mounted pressure on Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday arrested the former's daughter Misa Bharti's chartered accountant Rajesh Agarwal in a money laundering case.
Addressing a press conference here, BJP leader Sushil Modi urged Lalu to accept ownership of the Delhi's Bijwasan area farmhouse like he had accepted ownership of his sons' shopping mall worth Rs 750 crore.
"The shopping mall of the Yadav's too is a fit case for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, as its shoddy deal was done when Lalu was Railways Minister," said Modi.
Last month, Modi had alleged that the land and the upcoming mall, worth Rs 750 core, was part of the "benami" property acquired by Lalu and his family. Few days back, Centre asked the Bihar government to stop the construction work of the mall saying it violated environmental laws.
Continuing his tirade against RJD Chief, Modi said probe is pending in Lalu's connection with KHK Holdings, and a property worth Rs 155 crore at D-1088 at New Friends Colony, New Delhi.
AK Infosystem Private Limited purchased prime properties in Patna and handed over to Lalu Yadav's family, alleged the BJP leader.
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He said that it was surprising that Lalu has yet not accepted ownership of all other benami properties.
If tomorrow the ED seizes these properties then he shouldn't cry hoarse, the BJP leader added scathingly.
He said that considering the Modi government's tough stance on benami properties, it is more important for Lalu Yadav to continue coalition government in Bihar than Nitish Kumar.
"Lalu thinks that if his party is a coalition partner in Bihar then he may be saved from probe in benami properties."
Earlier, Modi alleged that Misa and her husband Sailesh Kumar opened a company in Delhi in 2002 in the name of Mishail Packers and Printers Pvt Ltd with an investment of Rs one lakh. The company was closed in 2005-06.
"Shalini Holdings, a company owned by Birender Jain and Surendera Jain who are in jail in connection with the money laundering case involving Rs 8000 crore, purchased shares of Misa Bharti's company at the premium of Rs 90 and within 11 months Shalini Holdings again sold out the shares at the loss of Rs 90 per share to Misa Bharti's company," said Modi.
Later in 2008-09, Misa purchased a farmhouse in New Delhi's Bijwasan area at Rs 1.41 crore whose estimated value at present would be around Rs 50 crore, Modi added.
Modi had also alleged that Lalu's two minister sons - Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and Health minister Tej Pratap Yadav - had amassed benami properties worth over Rs 1,000 crore through various shell companies in Bihar.
Earlier in the day, the Enforcement Directorate arrested Misa Bharti's Chartered Accountant (CA) Rajesh Agarwal.
Agarwal, who provided money to Misa Bharti's company, would be produced before the Patiala court.
The arrest comes days after raids were conducted by the Income Tax department at 22 locations in Delhi, Gurugram on companies and people associated with Lalu.