Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav
– Photo: Amar Ujala
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ED has filed a charge sheet against RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and his family members in the court of Special Judge Vishal Gogane at Rouse Avenue Court in the Railways job in exchange for land scam. In this, ED has accused Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family of taking land as bribe in exchange for appointments in Indian Railways.
Special judge Vishal Gogane, who is hearing the case, had also summoned Lalu Prasad Yadav’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav. Whereas Tej Pratap was not named as an accused by the investigating agency. The court said that the court has found at the prima facie and summons stage that Tej Pratap Yadav was also involved in the acquisition and concealment of the proceeds of crime. Therefore he is also liable to be summoned on the complaint.
The court also summoned Prasad’s younger son and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav. The judge directed former Union minister and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his two sons and others to appear in the court on October 7. The court had earlier summoned former Bihar Chief Minister and Prasad’s wife Rabri Devi and her two daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav.
In the charge sheet, ED accused Lalu Prasad Yadav of hatching a criminal conspiracy along with his family members and associates to hide the proceeds of crime. The ED has alleged that he acquired the lands in such a manner that his involvement was not revealed and the family could benefit. When Prasad was Railway Minister, land owners, mainly in Mahua Bagh in Patna, were persuaded to sell their land at low prices with the promise of jobs in the Railways.
The ED said many of these lands were adjacent to lands already held by the Yadav family. Six of the seven land deals were linked to Rabri Devi and were obtained directly or indirectly. The investigation revealed that AK Infosystems Pvt Ltd and other entities obscured the link between land acquisition and the land-for-jobs scheme. AK Infosystems owner and co-accused Amit Katyal sold valuable lands at throwaway prices to Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav.
ED alleged that Prasad’s associate Bhola Yadav played a key role in this. He has admitted to convincing landowners near the Yadav family’s properties to sell their properties in exchange for jobs in the Railways. Prasad’s family benefited from these deals. In this, the lands were transferred through intermediaries like Rabri Devi’s personal employees Hridayanand Chaudhary and Lallan Chaudhary.
The ED said many of the properties in question were often received as gifts from distant relatives. Lalu Prasad and his family used their influence and official positions to gain personal gains. The scam involving illegal transfer of land in exchange for government jobs is a violation of public trust and abuse of power. The judge has summoned the accused persons after taking cognizance of the supplementary charge sheet against them. The ED had filed the final report before the court on August 6. The agency had registered a money laundering case based on an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
What is land for job scam?
Lalu Prasad was the Railway Minister in the first UPA government, when recruitment was done in Group D of Railways. It is alleged that recruitment was done without giving advertisement. Many people were given jobs within three days of applying. In exchange for jobs, land was taken as bribe from the candidates. ED has said that Lalu family has got land at 7 places.