The Income Tax Department on Thursday raided the home of Rekha Modi, who is reportedly Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi’s cousin, in connection with the alleged Srijan scam case, ANI reported. The tax sleuths, accompanied by Patna police, also raided seven other locations across the state.
The deputy chief minister, however, has denied any family ties with Rekha Modi. “I have no connection whatsoever with Rekha Modi and the talk of her being related to me has no basis,” he had said earlier, according to the Hindustan Times.
The alleged scam began in 2006. Preliminary investigations found that money meant to acquire land under the Mukhya Mantri Nagar Vikas Yojna was transferred under different names to the accounts of Bhagalpur-based cooperative society Srijan Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti Limited. The money was transferred to the Bank of Baroda and the Indian Bank in which the government also held accounts. This continued until Srijan’s founder-secretary Manorama Devi died in February.
Rekha Modi was listed as a beneficiary of the government funds illegally transferred to the cooperative society, Hindustan Times reported. She reportedly bought exorbitant jewellery gifts with the money.
On August 25, the Central Bureau of Investigation registered a First Information Report against Srijan Mahila Vikas Samiti in connection with the alleged multicrore scam.
Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav has repeatedly claimed the deputy chief minister is linked to the accused in the matter. “Sushil Modi’s sister Rekha Modi and niece Urvashi Modi received crores of rupees from Srijan scam,” Yadav has alleged.
The Congress has demanded that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar resign, taking responsibility for his administration’s mishandling of the case.
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