RJD parliamentarian Misa Bharti is an accused in an alleged money laundering case
Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD parliamentarian Misa Bharti was today interrogated for some eight hours by Enforcement Directorate or ED officers in connection with a probe into an alleged Rs 8,000-crore money laundering case, officials said. Ms Bharti, daughter of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, deposed before the investigating officer at the ED's zonal office in New Delhi just after 11 am.
The officials said her statement was also recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act or PMLA. They said Ms Bharti was questioned about her alleged role in Mishail Printers and Packers Private Limited, and her alleged links with a
chartered accountant who was also arrested by the ED.
The ED on July 8 conducted searches at
three farmhouses in Delhi belonging to Ms Bharti, her husband Shailesh Kumar and the firm. The ED raids on July 8 came a day after the Central Bureau of Investigation searched several premises of Lalu Prasad and his family in a an alleged corruption case.
The latest summons to Ms Bharti and her husband are related to an alleged Rs 8,000-crore money laundering probe being conducted by the ED against two Delhi-based businessmen brothers, Surendra Kumar Jain and Virendra Jain, and others who are alleged to have laundered several crores using over 90 shell companies.
The Jain brothers were arrested by the ED earlier under the PMLA. One of the firms that the arrested duo reportedly dealt with was Mishail Printers and Packers Private Limited. Ms Bharti and her husband are alleged to have been directors of this firm in the past.
The ED also arrested Rajesh Agarwal, a chartered accountant allegedly linked to Ms Bharti, who provided accommodation entries or black funds of Rs 60 lakh to Mishail Printers and Packers Private Limited.
The searches, officials said, are part of investigation to unravel links which allegedly routed black money using the shell companies.