Huge cash in BSP account: ED shares info with I-T dept

ED has informed the I-T department and shared relevant documents with regard to its detection of cash deposits totalling over Rs 104 crore in an account of the BSP and another Rs 1.43 crore in an account belonging to Mayawati's brother Anand in a bank branch here.

Officials said the Enforcement Directorate has formally shared the records with the Income Tax department that also talks about the chronology of deposits made in the said party account between "November 8-December 12" totalling Rs 104.36 crore.

They said the Income Tax department has been informed as it has the powers to go into the legality of donations and contributions made to political parties.

The information shared by the agency also includes details of Rs 12.09 crore in the said account in September this year apart from a similar chronology obtained by the ED, from the bank, on the account of Anand.

The Enforcement Directorate had yesterday detected these deposits as part of its routine survey and enquiry operations to check suspicious and huge cash deposits in banks and had visited the Karol Bagh branch of the UBI.

Mayawati today charged the Centre with misusing official machinery and trying to tarnish her party's image.

At a hurriedly convened press conference in Lucknow, the BSP supremo said, "All deposits are as per norms and party rules and the money was collected before note ban. Should we have thrown it?" When the ED sleuths called for the records of the deposits made in the BSP account, it was found that while about Rs 101 crore was deposited in Rs 1,000 notes, the rest Rs 3 crore was deposited in the old Rs 500 notes.

The agency had also detected another account in the same branch belonging to Anand, brother of BSP chief Mayawati, where a total of Rs 1.43 crore funds was found. A sum of 18.98 lakh came into account using the old notes after the ban.

The ED, on its part, has also sought full details about the two accounts from the bank apart from CCTV footage and KYC documents used to open the accounts.

ED has been carrying out enquiry operations at over 50 bank branches to check possible instances of hawala dealings and money laundering after the government scrapped the two high value currencies of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 on November 8.