India: CBI gets nod to prosecute RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in land-for-job scam

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday received sanction to prosecute former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in the land-for -job scam.Last year, the CBI had filed an FIR in the land-for-railway-jobcase and named Lalu Yadav, his wife and daughters as accused in the case along with several others. The alleged scam took place when Lalu Prasad Yadav was Railway Minister between 2004 to 2009.

The CBI had in July 2022 arrested Bhola Yadav, who used to be the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Lalu Prasad Yadav when he was railway minister, in the alleged land-for-job case.

The FIR reads that during the period 2004 to 2009. various persons were appointed as substitutes on group D post in different zones of the Railway in exchange for land, by the unknown public servants of the Indian Railway and later they were regularized.

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It was further alleged that unknown public servants of the Indian Railway did not follow the instructions/guidelines issued by the department prevalent during the relevant period for appointment of substitutes in group D post in railways.

It further reads that enquiry has revealed that some individuals who wereresidents of Patna, Bihar were appointed as substitutes on group Dposts during the period 2004-2009 in different zones of railways at Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur, Hajipur and in lieu thereof the individuals themselves or their family members transferred their land in the name of family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav, then Minister of Railway, and a Company AK Infosystems Private Limited.

"Out of seven instances of land transfer, it is revealed that three sale deeds were executed in favour of Rabri Devi, wife of Lalu Yadav, one sale deed was executed in the name of Misha Bharti, daughter of Lalu Prasad Yadav, one sale deed was executed in favour of M/s AK Infosystems Private Limited, in which later Rabri Devi became major shareholder, in the year 2014 and currently she is one of the directors of the company. Two gift deeds were executed in favour of Hema Yadav, daughter of Lalu Prasad Yadav," it reads.

The enquiry has prima facie revealed that a total of 12 persons were appointed as substitutes in six different Zones of Railway during the period when Lalu Prasad Yadav was Minister of Railway i.e. from 2004 to 2009 in exchange for above mentioned seven instances of land transfer.

Interestingly, in most of the cases of land transfer, payment to the sellers was shown to be done in cash. The current value of the above said seven parcels of land including the land acquired through gift deeds as per the existing circle rate is about Rs 4.39 crore.

The enquiry has prima facie indicated that Lalu Prasad Yadav as Minister of Railway, as a public servant abused his official position for obtaininga pecuniary advantage in the name of his family members in the form of land in the matter of appointment of substitutes in group D post in different Zones of Railway.

CBI conducted searches at 17 locations belonging to Lalu Yadav and his family members in Delhi and Bihar in May 2022.

Back in August 2022, the CBI conducted raids at 25 different places reportedly in connection with the land-for-jobscam.

In Bihar, the raids were conducted at the properties linked to RJD MLC Sunil Singh and three MPs Ashfaque Karim, Faiyaz Ahmed and Subodh Roy.

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