On Thursday, May 18, former chief minister of Bihar, Rabri Devi, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in the money laundering case pertaining to the alleged land-for-jobs scam. Rabri Devi, the wife of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, is recording her statement in this case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Prior to this, Rabri Devi was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in March at her residence in Patna as part of its probe into the alleged land-for-jobs scam. The alleged scam occurred while Lalu Prasad was the railways minister in the UPA-I government between 2004 and 2009.
The federal agency questioned Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav and his sister MP Misa Bharti in March of this year.
The CBI searched nine premises belonging to RJD Rajya Sabha MP Prem Chand Gupta, party MLA Kiran Devi, and her husband Arun Yadav in connection with the land-for-jobs scam on Tuesday, May 16.
Land for Jobs scam
The CBI in the first chargesheet filed in connection with the alleged land-for-job scam stated that irregular appointments of candidates were made in Central Railway, violating the laid down norms and procedures of Indian Railways for recruitment.
As a quid-pro-quo, the candidates directly or through their immediate relatives/family members, sold land to the family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav (then Union Railway Minister) at highly discounted rates up to 1/4th to 1/5th of the prevailing market rates, stated CBI.
The investigations revealed that Lalu Prasad Yadav during the period 2007-08, when he was Union Minister of Railways, with the intent to acquire the land parcels situated in Vill- Mahuabagh, Patna and Vill-Kunjwa, Patna which were situated adjacent to the land parcels already owned by his family members; entered into a criminal conspiracy with his wife Rabri Devi, daughter Misa Bharati, Officers of Central Railways namely Sowmya Raghvan the then General Manager, Kamal Deep Mainrai, the then Chief Personnel Officer, and residents of Vill-Mahjabagh, Patna and Vill-Bindaul, Bihta, Patna and Patna City namely Raj Kumar Singh, Mithlesh Kumar, Ajay Kumar, Sanjay Kumar, Dharmendra Kumar, Vikas Kumar, Abhishek Kumar, Ravindra Ray, Kiran Devi, Akhileshwar Singh, Ramashish Singh.
According to the CBI, all the candidates after their engagement as substitutes were subsequently regularized.
In lieu of getting them appointed in Railways, Lalu Prasad Yadav got the lands transferred owned by candidates and their family members in the names of his wife Rabri Devi and Misha Bharti for sale consideration which was much lesser than the prevailing circle rates as well as the prevailing market rates.