A team of officials from the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) on March 6, 2023 questioned for nearly four hours former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, wife of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, in connection with the land-for-job scam. The CBI had earlier issued notice to Ms. Devi in the case.
Bihar’s ruling mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) leaders condemned Ms. Devi’s questioning by the Central agency. Some RJD leaders and workers sat in a dharna (protest) outside Ms. Devi’s official residence and shouted slogans against the CBI and Central government.
The CBI later clarified that there had been no search or raid conducted at Ms. Devi’s residence. The agency has already filed a charge-sheet in the case and a special court has summoned Ms. Devi, Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav, their elder daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti, along with several others, on March 15.
The CBI had issued notice to Ms. Devi for questioning and she had requested them to visit her official residence at 10, Circular Road, on March 6, for it. The probe is open and may lead to “further investigation” in the case, CBI officials said.
The First Information Report (FIR) in the land-for-job scam case was filed by the CBI against Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav, Ms. Devi, Ms. Bharti, another daughter Hema Yadav, and several others, in May 2022, with raids conducted on their residences. Raids were again conducted at residences of RJD leaders in August 2022.
The FIR alleges the scam took place when Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav was the Union Railway Minister from 2004-2009. It is alleged that Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav took land in lieu of jobs in the Indian Railways’ Group-D services from several people in different Railway zones, including Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur and Hajipur. The land was allegedly transferred to the names of Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family members, and a company, A.K. Infosystems Private Limited, was subsequently taken over by his family members.
It is alleged that about 1,05,292 sq. ft. of land situated in Patna was acquired by Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family members via five sale deeds and two gift deeds from persons who secured jobs in the Indian Railways. In most of the sale deeds, payment was made in cash and the value of the land, as per the existing Circle Rate, was ₹4.39 crore. In July 2022, the CBI arrested Bhola Yadav, the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav during his tenure as Railway Minister.
Following her questioning by the CBI on Monday, Ms. Devi attended the State Legislative Council proceedings. On being questioned by the CBI, she later told mediapersons “such things keep happening with us”.
“Every month or two, these investigating agencies keep coming to our residence but we are not bothered as when we have not done anything wrong. Why should we get perturbed?” her younger son, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, told mediapersons at the State Assembly premises.
“They [the BJP] are afraid of losing in the 2024 General Elections and using the agency [CBI] but they will get nothing,” RJD leader and MLA Bhai Birendra said, expressing disappointment over Ms. Devi’s questioning.
Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader K.C. Tyagi and Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan too slammed the BJP government at the Centre for Ms. Devi’s questioning by the CBI.
