Lalu Prasad's close aide Subhash Yadav arrested by ED in illegal sand mining case
Subhash Yadav's arrest came as the ED found around ₹2.3 crore cash during searches at half a dozen of Yadav and his associates' premises in the state.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday night arrested Subhash Yadav, a close aide of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, in a money laundering case linked to the alleged illegal sand mining case in Bihar. Reports claimed that Subhash Yadav was produced before the court on Sunday morning and was sent to judicial custody. He will be produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Patna on Monday, reported news agency PTI.
The arrest of Lalu Prasad's aide came as the probe agency found around ₹2.3 crore cash during searches at half a dozen of Yadav and his associates' premises in the state.
Also read: CBI files charge sheet against Lalu Yadav’s ex-officer in land for jobs scam
What is the illegal sand mining case?
The probe into ‘illegal’ sand mining money laundering case began after 20 FIRs were registered by Bihar Police against a company called Broadsons Commodities Pvt. Ltd. (BCPL) and its directors, alleging that they were engaged in illegal mining and sale of sand without using e-challans. According to the probe by ED, proceeds of crime to the tune of ₹161 crore were generated in the case.
According to the ED, the alleged illegal sand trade is controlled by a syndicate that invested funds in the Broadsons Commodities Pvt. Ltd. company. Reportedly, the syndicate earns profit by illegally selling sand.
Also read: Tejashwi Yadav defends Lalu Yadav's over 'Modi not true Hindu' jab: 'Got daughter's mundan done'
Last year, the probe agency arrested Bihar MLC and JD(U) leader Radha Charan Sah, his son Kanhaiya Prasad and directors of Broadsons Commodities Mithilesh Kumar Singh, Baban Singh and Surendra Kumar Jindal in the case. The ED had filed a charge sheet against the accused before a Patna special PMLA court in November 2023. They are currently lodged in jail under judicial custody.
RJD hits out at BJP
Meanwhile, RJD spokesperson Rishi Mishra on Saturday hit out at the BJP over the ED raids against Subhash Yadav. “The BJP has lost trust in its own leaders and workers. It seems to have realised that they will not be able to fetch votes for the party. Hence, it has reposed its entire faith in the ED, the CBI, and the I-T department,” he said as quoted by PTI.
(With inputs from PTI)