BJP demands probe into expenses on Lalu's daughter

New Delhi, June 23 (UNI) The BJP today demanded a thorough probe into the expenses incurred on the Railway Minister Lalu Prasad's daughter's marriage.

In a letter to Finance Minister P Chidamabaram by party spokesman Prakash Javadekar, the party said Mr Prasad made a cash payment of more than Rs 10 Lakh to Ashoka Hotel, the venue for the extravagant marriage, on May 4, 2006 -- Rs nine lakh vide receipt No.532337 and Rs 101250 vide receipt No.532338.

''Such large scale cash payments definitely raises many eyebrows,'' Mr Javadekar said in the letter.

Pointing out that there was already a disproportionate assets case pending against Mr Prasad, Mr Javadekar claimed the Minister had not furnished his PAN number for making these payments despite the fact that it was statutory to furnish PAN number on any payment of more than Rs 50,000.

While seeking an explanation by the IT department to the Minister for explaining the source of the money, he pointed out that a similar explanation was sought from Mr Prasad at the time of his another daughter Referring to the government move to introduce new SARAL form in order to assess the source of income of the assessee, Mr Javadekar asked the Finance Minister to set a precedent by asking the IT Department to follow the procedure in the case of Mr Lalu Prasad.

UNI KAS YA RS1836