Bihar: JD(U) MLC sent to judicial custody for 14 days by special PMLA court

ED officials said Shah was arrested after sleuths of the central probe agency concluded search operations at his premise in Ara. Shah was arrested under the stringent provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), officials said.

Patna:A special PMLA court in Patna on Thursday sent Janata Dal-United (JDU) MLC Radha Charan Shah to judicial custody for 14 days. Shah, JD(U)'s Member of Legislative Council (MLC), will be in judicial custody till September 27. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Shah from his residence in Ara (Bhojpur district) on Wednesday night as part of its investigation into a money laundering case against him.

ED officials said Shah was arrested after sleuths of the central probe agency concluded search operations at his premise in Ara. Shah was arrested under the stringent provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), officials said. On May 6, the ED had searched premises linked to the MLC and his associates. Among other businesses, Shah owns hotels and resorts and a private school in Ara, which were also searched.

The ED on August 28 had issued summons to Shah and his son, asking them to appear before the agency's Bihar office in Patna within 15 days. Later, both were questioned by the ED. The Income Tax department on February 7 had raided premises linked to Shah and his aides in connection with an alleged tax evasion case.

Commenting on Shah's arrest by the ED, Bijendra Prasad Yadav, senior JD(U) leader and Bihar's Planning and Development Minister told reporters, "The BJP-led Union government is misusing central investigation agencies to harass members of opposition parties. The arrest of JD(U) MLC is an example of the misuse of the ED by the central government." (PTI)