Lucknow, Apr 28 (IANS): The Income Tax (I-T) Department has served a notice to mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari at the Banda jail where he is currently lodged.

The notice pertains to the Department's recent proceedings in which Ansari's benami property worth Rs 12 crore was attached.

The property was traced to be registered in the name of one Ganesh Dutt Mishra.

The notice has sought details of Ansari's association with Mishra for further probe.

A senior jail officer has confirmed the development.

I-T sources said that 23 more benami properties belonging to Ansari have been traced by them.

Sources said that a property in Ghazipur was found to be registered in the name of Mishra. It measures 0.207 hectare and is worth Rs 12 crore.

While scanning records, officials found that the land in Mauja Kupurpur was registered on November 25, 2017.

Mishra had purchased the land from Sushma and Geeta Rai for Rs 3.71 crore.

Hiss role also surfaced during a probe into financial transactions of Aaghaz Constructions in which Mukhtar's wife Afsan Ansari holds 1,500 shares, father-in-law Jamshed Raza has 3,425 shares and son Abbas Ansari holds 19,170 shares.

The company had taken a loan of Rs 1.06 crore in Mishra's name from Union Bank of India and a property worth Rs 90 lakh belonging to Mishra was mortgaged.

"All these points have been elaborated and sent to Ansari for replies," sources said.

I-T Department officials said that they started a probe after a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was registered against Mukhtar, his wife and son in 2021.

Police sources said that Mishra was a fourth-class employee of the don on whose name several of his properties were registered.

So far, properties worth Rs 290 crore, belonging to Mukhtar and his accomplices, have been attached from across the state.