I-T summons Lalu's daughter and husband in benami land case

NEW DELHI: Income tax authorities have issued summons to RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s daughter and Rajya Sabha member Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar in connection with alleged Rs 1,000-crore benami property deals.

Bharti and Kumar have been asked to appear before the investigating officer in the first week of June. This comes two days after the arrest of chartered accountant Rajesh Kumar, alleged to have facilitated transactions by Prasad’s kin, by the Enforcement Directorate.

Income tax authorities had, on May 16, searched multiple premises of about two dozen entities connected to this case and seized documents and computer hardware. They said the summonses to Bharti and Kumar are part of the investigation and their statements will be recorded. The couple are alleged to have purchased land in the Bijwasan area of Delhi through a web of shell companies.

Separately, the income tax authorities carried out searches and surveys on some Uttar Pradesh government officials.