ED detects cash deposits over Rs 105 cr in accounts of BSP, Mayawati kin
Preliminary scrutiny of the records revealed that huge cash of about Rs 13-17 crore was deposited every other day, they added.
New Delhi: In a development that could have significant political ramifications in Uttar Pradesh, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday detected cash deposits totalling over Rs 105 crore in an account allegedly belonging to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Rs 1.43 crore in an account belonging to party supremo Mayawati’s brother Anand in a branch of a nationalised bank in the national capital.
According to sources, the ED, as part of its routine survey and enquiry operations to check suspicious and huge cash deposits in banks, on Monday visited the Karol Bagh branch of the United Bank of India (UBI) and found huge deposits made in these two accounts post-demonetisation.
“ED sleuths called for the records of the deposits made in the BSP account and found that while Rs 102 crore was deposited in Rs 1,000 notes, the rest Rs 3 crore was deposited in the old Rs 500 notes,” sources said. Preliminary scrutiny of the records revealed that huge cash of about Rs 13-17 crore was deposited every other day, they added. The agency has sought full details about the two accounts from the bank even as it is understood that the agency will write to the income-tax department which has the powers to go into the legality of donations and contributions made to political parties. The ED may also seek clarifications from the UBI officials in this regard.
The agency sleuths also detected another account in the same branch belonging to Anand, brother of BSP chief Mayawati, where a total of Rs 1.43 crore amount was found. The Central probe agency has also asked the bank to provide to it CCTV footage and KYC documents used to open the accounts, they said. As far as Anands’s account is concerned, sources said, the agency will soon issue notices to him and also intimate the I-T sleuths for investigation under anti-tax evasion laws.
The agency has been carrying out enquiry operations at over 50 bank branches to check possible instances of hawala dealings and money laundering after the government scrapped the two high value currencies of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 on November 8.