Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on March 11 did not appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for questioning in connection with the land-for-job scam case, an agency official said.
“In response to the summons, Mr. Yadav expressed his inability to join the probe citing his wife’s health. Another summons will be issued soon. On March 4 also, he had not come,” the official said.
Also read: Explained | What is the alleged land-for-jobs scam involving former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad?
In the same case, the CBI had filed a charge sheet against 16 accused in October 2022. Among them were former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, eldest daughter Misa Bharti, the then Indian Railways General Manager Sowmya Raghavan, and the then Chief Personnel Officer, Kamal Deep Mainrai. In January, the agency secured prosecution sanction against Mr. Prasad from the competent authority.
The CBI searched multiple premises in Delhi and Bihar in May 2022, after registering the case alleging that the appointment of certain substitutes to the Railways’ Group-D posts were made in lieu of land parcels. The case is based on a preliminary enquiry into the allegation that during 2004-09, many ineligible candidates were appointed as substitutes. The beneficiaries were later regularised.
About 1.05 lakh sq. ft. of land in Patna was allegedly acquired by Mr. Prasad’s family members and in most cases, payments were shown in cash. The land parcels directly transferred to the family members were purchased at prices ranging from ₹3.75 lakh to ₹13 lakh, lower than the then prevailing circle rates, the CBI has alleged.
Responding to the allegation, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav tweeted: “Instead of spreading false rumours or planting news by the BJP government, the list of seizure lists signed after the raid should be made public. If we make it public, then what will be the respect of these poor leaders? think...”
“...In 2017 also, there was an alleged transaction of [₹]8,000 crores, a mall worth thousands of crores, hundreds of properties...now, before bringing the new account of the alleged [₹]600 crores, the BJP would have given the old account to its sources,” Mr. Tejashwi Yadav said through his Twitter handle.
