ED bulldozes illegal structures on land seized from Kushwaha

Earlier, the agency had filed a case under the Money Laundering Act in connection with the NRHM scam and against Kushwaha for acquiring assets disproportionate to his income

LUCKNOW The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday used bulldozers to demolish encroachments (temporary constructions) on the land at Kanpur Road that was seized from former minister and current Samajwadi Party MP Babu Singh Kushwaha recently in the NRHM scam. The agency put up new boards to reclaim the property, said officials.

The agency put up new boards to reclaim the property, said officials. (HT Photo)

Earlier, the agency had filed a case under the Money Laundering Act in connection with the NRHM scam and against Kushwaha for acquiring assets disproportionate to his income. After investigation into the NRHM scam, the ED seized about 40 bighas of agricultural land belonging to Kushwaha and his associates in the Sarojini Nagar area of Lucknow.

Officials were also trying to determine whether locals or individuals associated with Kushwaha re-occupied the land. Legal action may be taken against those responsible for the encroachments.

So far, the ED had seized assets worth over ₹100 crore belonging to Babu Singh Kushwaha. Additionally, the income tax department had seized his benami properties on Kanpur Road last year.

In the past, the directorate had also seized unaccounted property worth crores of Kushwaha, who is the prime accused in National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) multi-crore scam during the Bahujan Samaj Party regime in the state between 2007-2012.

Kushwaha, who was once said to be close to BSP chief Mayawati, had remained cabinet minister in the BSP government and currently he is MP from Jaunpur on Samajwadi Party ticket.

The former minister was accused of allegedly purchasing properties in the name of his relatives and family members using black money procured through NRHM scam and other political sources.

The probe agency had conducted similar raids in April 2014 and confiscated Kushwaha and his family members’ properties in Lucknow, Delhi, Kanpur, Ghaziabad, Noida, and Banda.