ED to attach assets in money laundering case

New Delhi: Noose around RJD MP Misa Bharti — daughter of party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav — seems to be tightening as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is now preparing to attach her movable and immovable assets as part of its investigation into the Rs 8,000-crore money laundering case. The agency on Friday filed the chargesheet against her and CA Rajesh Aggarwal in connection with the case.

Sources said, “Investigations by the agency has revealed that Aggarwal allegedly provided accommodation entries (black funds) of at least Rs 60 lakh to M/s Mishail Printers and Packers Private Limited. Ms Bharti and her husband are alleged to have been directors of this firm in the past.”

During investigation, the agency sleuths detected that 1,20,000 shares of M/s Mishail Printers and Packers Private Limited were bought during 2007-08 at a rate of Rs 100 per share by four shell companies — M/s Shalini Holdings Limited, M/s Ad-Fin Capital Services (India) Pvt. Ltd, M/s Mani Mala Delhi Properties Pvt. Ltd., and M/s Diamond Vinimay Pvt. Ltd. These 1,20,000 shares were allegedly bought back by Ms Bharti at Rs 10 per share, sources said. “The agency sleuths will soon attach ‘proceeds of crime’, including assets acquired by the accused, in the case,” they added.

The ED is also preparing to initiate the process of filing a supplementary chargesheet against Misa and her husband — Shailesh Kumar — in the case as the sleuths of the central probe agency has collected “sufficient evidence” against them. The ED, recently, questioned Shailesh Kumar in connection with the case. The agency also questioned Misa on July 10.

The ED had on July 8 conducted searches at three Delhi farmhouses of Ms Bharti, her husband and the firm. Searches were related to the probe by the agency against two Delhi-based businessmen brothers, Surendra Kumar Jain and Virendra Jain, and others alleged to have laundered crores of rupees using over 90 shell companies. The Jain brothers were arrested.