Misa Bharti's residence raided by Enforcement Directorate

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday raided the residence of Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti in Sainik Farms, New Delhi, reported news agency ANI. The raid was carried out in connection with an ongoing case against her. The officials also raided her husband's residence and premises of a firm linked to them.

Earlier in May this year, the ED had arrested CA Rajesh Aggarwal, who was linked to Bharti, in alleged Rs 8,000 crore PMLA cases. Bharti also skipped questioning by Income Tax department officials in connection with the probe into an alleged Rs 1,000 crore benami land deal and tax evasion case more than once in June.

The raid comes just a day after the CBI conducted searches at residences and premises linked to Lalu Yadav and his family in connection with alleged irregularities in the award of a tender for the maintenance of two railway hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006. The case dates back to when Lalu Yadav was the Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009. A case has been booked against Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi, his son and Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav and five others.

The CBI officials conducted raids at 12 different locations across the country including Lalu Yadav's residence in Patna. Lalu had accused BJP President Amit Shah and PM Narendra Modi of carrying out political vendetta against him after the raids were conducted. "We will eradicate the saffron party as they are trying to interfere in our alliance. Listen Modi and Amit Shah, I and the public will break your arrogance even if I have to get hanged for that," he had said.

At the same time, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi asked Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to break his silence on the case and throw out Tejashwi Yadav from the cabinet.