Benami Land Deals: Misa Fails to Appear Before I-T Dept Again

The I-T Department had also fined her Rs 10,000 and issued her a show-cause notice.

Misa Bharti with father Lalu Prasad Yadav at their 10 Circular Road residence in Patna after the Bihar election results. (Photo Courtesy: Misa Bharti’s Facebook page)

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad's daughter Misa Bharti and her husband again failed to appear before the Income Tax Department on Monday in connection with a benami property deal case.

The I-T Department had for the first time issued her summons on 24 May to appear before it on 6 June. But she had failed to turn up then.

Following that, the I-T Department on 6 June issued her fresh summons and asked her to appear before it on 12 June. It had also fined her Rs 10,000 and issued her a show-cause notice.

Her husband Shailesh Kumar also was summoned on 7 June, but he too did not show up. Kumar was also asked to appear before the tax authorities on 12 June.

On 16 May, the department had launched searches at 22 places in and around Delhi in connection with alleged benami (held in proxy) property deals involving Lalu Prasad and his children – Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav and Misa Bharti.

Besides the residence of the RJD supremo, searches were also conducted at the residence of party MP PC Gupta as well as several businessmen and real estate agents in Delhi and Haryana’s Gurugram and Rewari, in the wake of allegations by senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi.

Modi has alleged involvement of Lalu Prasad and his three children in corrupt land deals.

Benami means held by proxy. In this kind of transaction, the person who pays for the property does not buy it or hold it under his/her own name.

(This admission season, The Quint got experts from CollegeDekho.com on board to answer all your college-related queries. Send us your questions at [e-mail])