In another setback to Laloo Yadav’s ruling RJD, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted raids on an RJD MLA and a Rajya Sabha MP. The investigation agency carried out searches in nine locations across the state since Tuesday morning.
The Central agency, “on the basis of evidence”, has conducted searches on the premises of the MLA and MP in cases related to ‘land for jobs scam’ in railways during the tenure of Laloo Yadav as railway minister in the UPA government.
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The premises of sitting RJD MLA from Sandesh assembly seat in the Bhojpur district Kiran Devi (said to be the close of Laloo family), located in Agiaon in her constituency and in Patna, are being raided by the CBI since morning.
According to official sources, the agency also conducted searches on the premises of another close confidant of Yadav, RJD Rajya Sabha MP Prem Chand Gupta at a total of nine locations including Patna Ara, Delhi, Gurugram, NOIDA and Rewari in connection with the ‘land for Jobs scam’ case.
According to official sources, during Laloo Yadav’s tenure as railway minister (2004-09), appointments were made in railways in violation of norms and procedures of recruitment. No advertisements and notices were issued for recruitments.
Sources further said that over a dozen people were given group D jobs in the railways in lieu of plots of land at Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Chennai, Hajipur and Jaipur.
Recently, RJD supremo Laloo Yadav and his wife Rabari Devi were quizzed by the CBI in connection with a similar case. The CBI filed a chargesheet in this case against both of them and 14 others under the charge of criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
In March 2023, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had also searched Laloo Yadav’s younger son, state Deputy CM Tejshwi Prasad Yadav’s Delhi residence and 15 another locations in connection with the ‘land for jobs scam’.
RJD spokesman Shakti Singh Yadav, while commenting on the CBI’s raids, told media persons that the BJP was nervous over the recent developments on the Opposition unity mission led by the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The Centre is busy targetting those who are opposing their government. Ge asked as to why the Modi Government is keeping mum on Adani.
The former deputy CM and BJP Rajya Sabha MP, Sushil K Modi, told the media: “Laloo Yadav is the biggest zamindar in Bihar now. It was JDU president Lallan Singh who had first given a memorandum enlisting all these details about land for jobs scam to the then PM Manmohan Singh in 2007”.
“Tum Mujhe zamin do. Main tumhe Naukari doonga”, was the popular slogan during that time, Modi said and alleged that Tejshwi Yadav also owns over 50 prime properties across the state.
Inquiries revealed that the former RJD MLA Arun Yadav, husband of Kiran Devi, is accused of raping a minor girl in 2019 and has surrendered before the Special POCSO court in Ara in July 2022. He is currently in jail.
The searches were conducted after the alleged role of two RJD leaders emerged in the scam. Besides, the CBI is probing their disproportionate asset (DA) case because the former RJD MLA Arun Yadav is said to be one of the biggest sand mafia of the Bhojpur region.
