ED files second chargesheet against Lalu's daughter
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday filed a second chargesheet in a Delhi court against the former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter, Misa Bharti in a money laundering act case . The first chargesheet was filed on 23rd December 2017. The ED has already locked horns with Misa Bharti and her husband, Shailesh Kumar in an earlier money laundering probe.
ED chargesheet irritates judge
"Will you let the trial begin or keep filing complaints? How many supplementary charge sheets will you file? You are a premier investigating agency. You cannot behave like this," said Special Judge N.K. Malhotra, expressing irritation at the ED for delaying trial.
The ED had recently confiscated a Delhi farmhouse from Bharti
In September 2017, as part of an ongoing money laundering probe, the ED provisionally attached a Delhi farmhouse owned by Bharti and Kumar under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The farmhouse, situated at 26, Palam Farms, was purchased for Rs. 1.2 crore involved in money laundering in 2008-09, and was held under the name of "Ms Mishail Packers and Printers Private Limited".
How Bharti's Delhi farmhouse is linked to money laundering
The ED had conducted raids at the Delhi farmhouse and other locations as part of its probe against two brothers, Virendra Jain and Surendra Kumar Jain, who had allegedly laundered hundreds of crores of rupees using shell companies. The Jain brothers were arrested under the PMLA. Interestingly, one of the companies the brothers dealt with was Ms Mishail Packers and Printers Pvt. Ltd.
The scheduled date for hearing the chargesheets
The court decided that it would consider both the chargesheets on 5th February, after ED special counsel Atul Tripathi sought more time for further submissions in the case.
Multiple connections found between Bharti and money laundering
The ED had also arrested a chartered accountant named Rajesh Agarwal who was responsible for mediating and providing the Jain brothers with Rs. 90 lakh cash in advance for investing into Ms Mishail Packers and Printers Pvt. Ltd. as "share premium". According to ED allegations, Bharti and Kumar had been the directors of Ms Mishail Packers and Printers earlier.
