ED Arrests Lalu Prasad’s Aide in Illegal Sand Mining Probe

Subhash Yadav, a trusted associate of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, was apprehended by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday night in connection with a money laundering probe linked to alleged illegal sand mining activities in Bihar. Following his arrest, Subhash Yadav was presented before the court on Sunday morning and subsequently remanded to judicial custody. He is scheduled to appear before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Patna on Monday, according to reports by news agency PTI.

The arrest came as a result of extensive searches conducted by the probe agency at several locations associated with Yadav and his associates across the state, during which approximately ₹2.3 crore in cash was seized. The investigation into the alleged illicit sand mining operation, which sparked from 20 FIRs lodged by Bihar Police against Broadsons Commodities Pvt. Ltd. (BCPL) and its directors, revealed proceeds of crime amounting to ₹161 crore.

The Enforcement Directorate alleges that a syndicate orchestrates the illegal sand trade, funneling profits into BCPL. The syndicate is purportedly involved in the unauthorized extraction and distribution of sand without utilizing e-challans.

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Last year, Bihar MLC and JD(U) leader Radha Charan Sah, his son Kanhaiya Prasad, and BCPL directors Mithilesh Kumar Singh, Baban Singh, and Surendra Kumar Jindal were arrested in connection with the case. The ED filed a charge sheet against the accused before a Patna special PMLA court in November 2023. Currently, they remain in judicial custody.

Reacting to the ED’s actions, RJD spokesperson Rishi Mishra criticized the BJP, accusing them of resorting to investigative agencies like the ED, CBI, and I-T department due to a lack of confidence in their own leaders and workers. “It seems to have realized that they will not be able to fetch votes for the party,” Mishra remarked, as quoted by PTI.