'Land For Jobs Scam': CBI Summons Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav Day After Enforcement Directorate Searches

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today summoned Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav for questioning in connection with the land for railway jobs scam. It may be recalled that Yadav family has been subject to investigation in the case. Yadav was earlier called for questioning on March 4 but he had not appeared before the CBI sleuths, following which a fresh date was given for Saturday, they said. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader was asked to appear for questioning on Saturday forenoon but he is yet to arrive at the headquarters of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) here, they said.

The federal agency recently questioned RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi in Delhi and Patna respectively. The case pertains to people allegedly given employment in the railways in return for land parcels gifted or sold at cheap rates to the Yadav family and its associates, the officials said.

Yesterday, the Enforcement Directorate conducted raid at the residence of Bihar Deputy CM and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav in the national capital in connection with the alleged land-for-job scam case. The ED team left after over 11 hours of questioning the RJD leader at his residence in New Delhi, they said.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted raids against many relatives of former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad at multiple locations across Delhi, the National Capital Region (NCR) and Bihar in the alleged land-for-jobs scam. The raids were conducted at the residence of Lalu Prasad`s daughter Misa Bharti among others in Delhi as well as RJD`s leader and former MLA Abu Dojana in Bihar, said sources.

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According to sources, the searches are being conducted at more than 15 locations across Delhi, NCR and Bihar. Multiple teams of the ED carried out the searches simultaneously on these locations that included the residential and office premises of the suspects and the beneficiaries of the alleged land-for-jobs scam. 

The ED carried out these searches under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act after filing an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) taking cognisance of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case against Lalu Prasad in the matter. The federal agency carried out these searches days after a CBI team questioned Lalu Prasad in connection with the land-for-jobs case. The CBI on Tuesday quizzed Lalu Prasad for nearly five hours in two sessions.

The CBI on Monday also questioned Lalu Prasad`s wife, former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, at her Patna (Bihar) residence for over five hours.The CBI has already filed a charge sheet in the case against Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi and 14 others under charges of criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. (With agency inputs)