I-T raid brings Chirag Paswan under scanner

‘The raid has found that the LJP chief has allegedly invested money in raided companies’.

New Delhi: An Income Tax (I-T) raid that took place in Bhopal earlier this week has found that Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief and Member of Parliament from Jamui, Bihar, Chirag Paswan has allegedly invested money in raided companies.
Close to 150 officials from the Income Tax department raided multiple offices of Jayshri Gayatri Food Products (JGFP) in Bhopal, Indore, Sehore. Independent sources stated that a similar raid was also conducted at sister companies of JGFP in Hajipur, Bihar, which has been represented in the Lok Sabha by Chirag Paswan’s father Ram Vilas Paswan who passed away in October 2020.
Kishan Modi, the Director of JGFP, while confirming the I-T raids at his establishments, said that he was not in a position to speak much. “They have taken some cash and documents. We have done no wrong, everything is accounted for,” Modi told The Sunday Guardian on Saturday. Asked whether Chirag Paswan was related with the company in any way, Modi said that he had never met him nor had Paswan had any business dealing with his companies.
Paswan chose not to respond to The Sunday Guardian’s calls, SMS and emails seeking his response on the matter and whether he had any business dealings with Kishan Modi. Paswan’s 2019 election affidavit mentions that he has shares of six companies—Shankat Mochan Mercantile, Aqua Vintrade, Strong Pillar Private Limited, Devine Distributors Private Limited, Chirag Ka Rojgar Private Limited and CSP Sports Management. None of these companies are related to Kishan Modi. One of the sister companies of JGFP in which Modi is one of the directors is Aasma Foods and Beverages Private Limited; whose registered address is in Hajipur.
The contact number to reach out to this company, 9910223330, is listed as “Parliament of India- Chandra Prakash Pandey’. The Sunday Guardian called on this number multiple times, but there was no response. The company was formed almost 13 years ago.
Jayshri Gayatri Food Products (JGFP) is one of the leading dairy product manufacturers in Central India, and one of its brands is “Milk Magic” which is also exported to other countries. I-T sleuths who searched at least 20 premises had pasted “wedding stickers” on their cars to ensure that the company officials don’t get an indication of the raids. The team that raided the offices of the company at Bhopal, official sources said, had come from Delhi.