NEW DELHI: In a major development, the Enforcement Directorate on Friday carried out raids at Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav’s Delhi residence in connection with the land-for-jobs case. The central probe agency is also conducting raids at 15 other locations in Bihar in connection with the land-for-job scam in which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had recently grilled former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad.
The ED action is being carried out on the basis of the FIR filed by the CBI in connection with the case. In its case, the CBI has alleged that it was found during the investigation that the accused in conspiracy with the then GM and CPO of Central Railways engaged persons as substitutes in lieu of land either in their name or in the name of close relatives of Lalu Prasad`s family.
The CBI has earlier registered a case against RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, their two daughters and 15 others. “During the period 2004-2009 Yadav had obtained pecuniary advantages in the form of transfer of landed property in the name of his family members in lieu of appointment of Substitutes in Group `D` Post in different zones of railways,” the official said.
It us alleged that a number of residents of Patna themselves or through their family members sold and gifted their land in the state capital in favour of the Yadavs and a private company controlled by Lalu Prasad and his family and they were also involved in the transfer of such immovable properties.
“No advertisement or any public notice was issued for such appointment of substitutes in Zonal Railways, yet the appointees who were residents of Patna were appointed as Substitutes in different Zonal Railways located at Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur and Hazipur,” the CBI said.
“In continuation of this modus operandi, about 1,05,292 sq. feet of land, immovable properties situated at Patna were acquired by Yadav and his family members through five sales deeds and two gift deeds, showing the payment made to seller in cash in most of the land transfer,” the CBI has alleged.
The CBI case is based on accusations that Lalu Yadav and his family members bought land at cheap rates in exchange for jobs during his tenure as Union Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009.
Besides the veteran Bihar politician, his wife and his daughters, the CBI FIR, registered in May 2022, has named 12 other people who allegedly got jobs in exchange for land. In July last year, the CBI arrested Lalu Yadav’s aide and former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Bhola Yadav in connection with the case.
Bureau Report
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