Who is Pushpraj Jain, Samajwadi Party MLC whose premises were raided by Income Tax department?

The Income Tax department on Friday (December 31) raided multiple premises linked to perfume traders and some others in Uttar Pradesh as part of a tax evasion investigation, official sources said.

They said the searches are being conducted in Kannauj, Kanpur, the national capital region, Surat, Mumbai and a few other places, and about 20 premises are being covered.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) said through a post on its official Twitter handle that the premises of its MLC Pushpraj alias Pampi Jain in Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh, have been raided.

Who is Pushpraj Jain?

Pushparaj Jain is a perfume trader in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj. His family is a big name in the perfume business. Sixty-year-old Pushparaj Jain's image is that of a 'philanthropist' and someone who helps people. It was Pushpraj who had given a fillip to his father's perfume business. 

Pushparaj completed his early studies from Kannauj. Also known as Pammi Jain, Pushparaj has completed his class 12 from Swarup Narayan Intermediate College in Kannauj. He then joined his father's perfume business and expanded it not only in India but also in many countries across the globe.

Pushparaj Jain is co-owner of Pragati Aroma Oil Distillers Pvt Ltd. The perfume business was started by his father Sawailal Jain in 1950. Pushparaj and his three brothers manage the business and live together in the same house in Kannauj. Two of his three brothers work in the Mumbai office while the third works with him on a manufacturing set-up in Kannauj.

Pushparaj ties up with Samajwadi Party

Pushparaj Jain is a leader and businessman with a clean image as there is no criminal record against him. He has been associated with the Samajwadi Party (SP) for a long time but was actively introduced to politics by Akhilesh Yadav. He grew closer to the SP ever since SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav was elected as an MP from Kannauj.

Mulayam Singh Yadav's political legacy of Kannauj was handled by Akhilesh Yadav and he was elected as a Lok Sabha MP. This was followed by Akhilesh Yadav's closeness with all the perfume traders and leaders of Kannauj. When Akhilesh Yadav became the chief minister of the state in 2012, his relationship with Pushparaj became even stronger.  

Pammi Jain became MLC in 2016

In 2016, Akhilesh Yadav gave a ticket to Pushparaj Jain to contest the Legislative Council election from Itawa-Farrukhabad and Jain won unopposed to become an MLC defying all Yadav and Sakhya community contenders. Nevertheless, Pushparaj was sent ahead to the Upper House. His term is coming to an end in March 2022. 

Socialist perfume was launched

Pushparaj Jain recently came into the limelight by introducing socialist perfumes. The perfume was launched by Akhilesh Yadav at the SP office. He added that this perfume would bring socialist fragrance by eliminating the fragrance of hate and increase brotherhood among the people in 2022. Jain said that two scientists were consulted to prepare the perfumes that were made in about four months.

He also mentioned that 22 perfumes were being used from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Post their usage, people will get a socialist fragrance and the fragrance of Kannauj’s soil.

What is Pushparaj Jain’s business?

MLC Pushparaj Jain runs his business not just in Kannauj, but also from his house and office in Mumbai. The perfumes from here are exported to mainly 12 countries in the Middle East. He also owns a petrol pump and cold storage in Kannauj, which are associated with his infrastructure business. 

According to an election affidavit in 2016, Pushparaj and his family have movable assets worth Rs 37.15 crore and immovable property worth Rs 10.10 crore.