Tightening its noose around benami properties, the Income Tax department has attached a ‘benami’ plot worth Rs 400 crores belonging to the brother of BSP supremo Mayawati Anand Kumar and his wife Vichiter Lata. The plot is reportedly seven-acre in size and is located in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida. It was “beneficially owned” by Mayawati’s brother Anand Kumar and his wife Vichiter Lata.
According to the provisional order, attachment of the land was issued on July 16 by Delhi-based Benami Prohibition Unit of the Income Tax department. The order was issued under section 24(3) of the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988. It stated that the benami property owned by the couple measured 28,328.07 square meters or about 7 acres.
Anand Kumar has once worked as a clerk in the Noida authority. Kumar has been accused of operating fake companies. After Mayawati became UP chief minister in 2007, Kumar opened as many as 49 fake companies and his assets skyrocketed to a whopping Rs 1316 crore towards the end of 2014. He is also accused of taking loans of several crore rupees under the name of his fake companies.
The ED and the Income Tax department, both have been investigating cases of money laundering against Mayawati’s brother. Both Incomes Tax department, as well as the Enforcement Directorate, have been probing cases of money laundering against Mayawati’s brother. During demonetisation, the Enforcement Directorate detected Rs 1.43 crore deposited in Anand Kumar’s bank account.
In 2017, the IT department probe revealed that Mayawati’s brother Anand Kumar may have acquired benami assets worth Rs 3000 crores. The investigation which led to the arrest of SK Jain, alleged for facilitating Kumar to acquire benami properties had provided accommodation entries to him to allegedly procure benami assets.
Earlier this year, the Income Tax raids at the BSP supremo’s former secretary yielded 20 immovable properties worth Rs 225 crores, luxury cars valued at Rs 1 crore, cash od Rs 2.03 crores and jewellery worth Rs 17.79 lakhs in his possession.
