Lalu's seized benami property in Patna: New revelations made

Some more revelations are made about a benami property, allegedly owned by the kin of RJD boss Lalu Prasad and seized by the Income Tax department, at a prime location in the State Capital. The documents suggested that this property, now worth Rs 3.67 crore, belonged to Tata Iron & Steel Company (TISCO) and was purchased in 2002 for Rs 65 lakh by a person claiming to be representative of a shell company Fairgrow Holding Pvt Ltd.

The fresh documents showed that Rs 65 lakh had been provided by Sahara Group. Interestingly, the land as per the official records was still in the name of TISCO.

Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi who during the last six days showed the relevant documents to the media said on Wednesday that Rajesh Kumar who made the payment of Rs 65 lakh to purchase the land and constructed two storied house was then private secretary to Sahara’s deputy managing director JB Roy and now heading the Corporate Division of Sahara Media.

According to I-T report Rajesh Kumar denied having any dealing with Fairgrow. “The sale deed of the property in question was executed by Rajesh Kumar but he refused to comment or reply when confronted with the documents and his personal emails,” the report claimed. It said that two of the directors of Fairgrow Brij Sarin and Yash Chowdhary admitted they were dummy directors and claimed they used to sign he balance sheet of the shell company on the directives of Rajesh Kumar.

Ironically, JB Roy, younger brother of Subrata Roy Sahara, when examined by the I-T feigned ignorance about whole transaction even as Sahara’s deputy general manager Hardeep Singh was named by two dummy directors that they were getting documents about appointment or resignation of directors of Fairgrow from him.