The Income Tax department has attached a "benami" commercial plot, worth more than Rs 400 crore, belonging to Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati's brother and his wife.
The seven-acre plot was "beneficially owned" by Anand Kumar and his wife Vichiter Lata. The provisional order for attachment of the plot was issued on July 16 by the Delhi-based Benami Prohibition Unit (BPU) of the department.
The law stipulates that a violator of the Benami Act can face rigorous imprisonment up to seven years besides being liable to pay fine up to 25 per cent of the fair market value of the 'benami' property.
The department started initiating action under the new Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016 from November 1, 2016, after the Modi government enforced the dormant-lying law from that year.
Mayawati recently appointed Kumar as national vice president of the BSP.
