Patna, July 12: BJP MP Giriraj Singh today told police that the cash of Rs 1.14 crore stolen from his home earlier this week and recovered within a day belonged to his businessman-cousin.

Giriraj, the Lok Sabha MP from Nawada, reached Patna from Delhi this morning. He visited SK Puri police station around 1pm along with his cousin, Rakesh Kumar Singh.

The police had asked Giriraj to do so as they wanted him to explain the presence of such a huge amount of cash in his home. In his election nomination filed in March, Giriraj had disclosed cash in hand of Rs 1.5 lakh.

The cash of Rs 1.14 crore, along with foreign currency (US$600), jewellery and valuables, was stolen from Giriraj’s second floor flat in Shivam Apartments at Anandpuri on July 8. The police arrested four persons, among them the security guard of the apartment, Giriraj’s cook and personal bodyguard, within 24 hours of the theft and recovered from them the cash and valuables. The thieves told the police the booty was what they had cleaned out from Giriraj’s home.

Rajeev Mishra, who is holding additional charge of Patna senior superintendent of police, and Patna city SP Ashish Bharti, recorded Giriraj’s statement under Section 164 of the CrPc. The section allows recording of statements at any stage before the commencement of an inquiry or trial.

As he emerged from the police station after the hour-long interrogation, Giriraj told reporters the money belonged to a relative. “The money belongs to my relative,” he said before leaving in his black SUV.

“He (Giriraj) came today and explained his position. He said the money belonged to Rakesh, a businessman based in Nagpur. Rakesh has several business interests like real estate, trading in foodgrain. Giriraj said Rakesh was his cousin. The police asked Giriraj to furnish all documents in connection with Rakesh’s businesses. The police also spoke to Rakesh, who accepted that the money belonged to him and that he had kept it in Giriraj’s flat. In the apartment building where the theft had taken place, the MP has two flats — one on the second floor and another on the fifth,” Mishra told The Telegraph.

Giriraj submitted the documents asked for in the evening. “He has submitted some documents. The police will go through them,” Mishra said.

Police sources said Giriraj was asked why Rakesh, who says he is based in Nagpur, had kept the money in his Patna flat. “To this, he (Giriraj) said Rakesh’s foodgrain business was based in Barauni in Begusarai district. Rakesh had bought maize from farmers there and he had to make payments. Hence, he had kept the money in Giriraj’s flat. Both Giriraj and Rakesh have stated they have got all related documents and could prove whatever they were claiming. Rakesh said he could explain the presence of US$600 as well,” a police officer told The Telegraph under cover of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to reporters.

The Patna police have also written to the income tax department and the Enforcement Directorate on the haul, a standard procedure in case of such a huge recovery of cash.