Sushil Modi makes fresh allegations against Lalu family

Patna: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday alleged a nexus existed between Lalu Prasad's family and sand mafia, who purchased three flats from the RJD chief's wife Rabri Devi.

RJD spokeman Shakti Singh Yadav dismissed the allegation as "a bundle of lies".

Talking to media, Modi claimed that Rabri Devi, a former chief minister, owned 18 flats in a housing complex, and to avoid Income Tax and other agencies, sold three to a member of a sand mafia in June 17, 2017.

Modi distributed copies of purported sale deeds of the three flats to the media, purchased by the three companies engaged in sand mining. He claimed the director of all three companies was SP Yadav the "right hand man" of Lalu Prasad.

He alleged that with the help of the RJD president the sand mafia had acquired mining lease of sand in six districts - Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Jehanabad and Arwal - for Rs 237 crore.

"Why the sand mafia purchased three flats from Rabri Devi on a single day at a cost of Rs 1.62 crore," he asked and said it showed his close nexus with Lalu Prasad's family.

Sushil Modi said he would write to Income Tax and Registrar of Companies to probe sale and purchase of the three flats and take necessary action.

He said he would also intimate Chief Minister Nitish Kumar about this and request him to order a probe by state agencies.

Modi asked Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi and their son and former Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav to make pubic details of such "dubious" sale and purchase of flats in the next 3-4 days, failing which he said he would keep "exposing" such deals.

The BJP leader alleged that the sand mafia was funding the RJD.

Immediately after coming to power, the new government in Bihar has launched a major crackdown against sand mafia, seizing machines used for illegal mining and a large number of sand laden trucks.

Meanwhile, RJD spokeman Shakti Singh Yadav dismissed the allegation as "a bundle of lies."

"The lease was given to the person when Sushil Kumar Modi was the mines and minerals minister in the previous NDA government," he claimed.

This is an attempt to "disturb" the RJD's August 27 rally, he said.