Tejashwi Prasad Yadav held office of profit while deputy CM: I-T dept

The Income-Tax department has cornered Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) President Lalu Prasad Yadav's younger son and MLA Tejashwi Prasad Yadav over holding an office of profit during his tenure as the deputy CM of Bihar and also expressed dissatisfaction over his replies during the seven-hour questioning in Patna on August 29.

A report submitted by the I-T sleuths in Patna to their officials in Delhi mentions that Tejashwi "officiated as the director of AB Exports Private Limited till February 2016, even though he had resigned from the post on November 9, 2015, before taking oath as a Bihar minister".

The I-T officials cited the evidence of a February 9, 2016, cheque found at one Vijaylal Tripathi's house during raids, which was signed by Tejashwi in the capacity of the director of AB Exports, where he holds 98 per cent shares. "This makes it clear that he still worked as its director even after assuming the office of the deputy CM of Bihar," the report said.

The Yadav clan came under the lens of the I-T department after senior BJP leader and deputy CM of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi made a series of "expose" against the family's alleged Rs 2,000 crore Benami deals in April-May this year.

The I-T sleuths quizzed Tejashwi over disproportionate assets, Benami deals and post-demonetisation transactions of companies he was associated with. "He failed to give satisfactory replies… he said he didn't remember the answer to most questions. He even gave a false answer for one question," said a source in the Patna office of the I-T department.

The department officials, who had earlier sealed Tejashwi's house (D-1088) in New Friends Colony under the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, said, "The house was the only asset of AB Exports, a company that has never carried out any business transaction. Its financial records were also irregular and transactions untraceable. Hence, it has been attached."

The problems of the Yadav family don't seem likely to end soon, with a fresh legal notice slapped against Tejashwi and Lalu for making "objectionable comments" against CM Nitish Kumar. Bihar State Disaster Management Authority member Uday Kant Mishra has sent a notice seeking public apology for levelling personal allegations against Kumar and himself in Bhagalpur last week.