Ranchi, Aug. 18: The husband-wife duo who allegedly masterminded the Rs 700-crore fund-transfer scam in Bhagalpur, Bihar, happen to be close relatives of a senior Jharkhand Congress leader.

Priya Kumar and Amit Kumar, the now-absconding secretary and director of NGO Srijan Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti Ltd, are the daughter and son-in-law of state Congress vice-president Anadi Brahma.

Top state Congress leaders, who were gearing up to launch a strident campaign against the BJP after RJD chief Lalu Prasad's claims that the BJP leader and Godda MP Nishikant Dubey was involved in this scam, are now caught unawares.

"I just knew his (Brahma's) daughter is happily married and well-settled in Bihar and they run an NGO. When RJD president Lalu Prasad alleged the involvement of BJP's Godda MP Nishikant Dubey, it was an opportunity for us to kick off a campaign against the BJP MP. But now, we are in no position to be vocal," said a senior Congress leader who is also the member of the state party working committee.

Ranchi-based Brahma admitted Priya was his daughter but claimed he wasn't in touch with her.

"I don't know where she is at this moment. But my daughter is not involved in the scam. My children have been honest since childhood. They are honest and upright people. I feel bad. I have nothing to do with this business," Brahma told this reporter.

Two days ago a team of Bihar police had visited Ranchi and contacted the police for help in nabbing Priya and Amit.

Eldest among Brahma's two daughters and one son, Priya was married to Amit in 2002. "Priya did her schooling at St Anne's School and then joined St Xavier's College in Ranchi. I remember Amit studied in the same college. But I am not sure if they knew each other in college," said one of Priya's college batch mates who refused to be identified.

Amit is known to have dabbled in various things, including running Kumar Classes, English news portal ebiharjharkhand.in, smart city campaign for Bhagalpur smartcitybgp.com; editing a magazine Leaders Speak, besides being a part of various business ventures such as Cyberfort Technologies and Lovely Professional University.

Brahma, who came to Ranchi from Gumla in 1965 and has been known as a committed Congressman, apparently lived a humble life in a thatched house on Radha-Govind Street in Tharpakhna till he gave his land to a builder. "In return, he got money and few apartments. I have heard his daughter bought some property in Ranchi, but am not sure," said a Congress leader.