The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday conducted searches at nine locations in Bihar’s Patna and Arrah linked to Rashtriya Janata Dal leaders, MLA Kiran Devi and former MLA Arun Yadav in connection with the alleged land-for-jobs scam. The CBI also conducted searches at the premises of Rajya Sabha MP Prem Chand Gupta at Noida, Delhi and Gurugram in the same alleged land-for-jobs scam.
In its chargesheet filed earlier in connection with the alleged land-for-job scam the CBI had stated that irregular appointments of candidates were made in Central Railways, 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 one-fourth to one-fifth of the prevailing market rates, according to the CBI.
The agency further stated that investigation has revealed that Lalu Prasad Yadav during the period 2007-08, when he was Minister of Railways, with the intent to acquire the land parcels situated in Vill- Mahuabagh, Patna and Vill-Kunjwa, Patna which were located adjacent to the land parcels already owned by his family members; entered into a criminal conspiracy with his wife Rabri Devi, daughter Misha 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 were subsequently regularized after their engagement as substitutes.
In lieu of getting them appointed in the Railways, Lalu Prasad Yadav got 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 less than the prevailing circle rates as well as the prevailing market rates. The CBI filed the chargesheet in October last year, against former Bihar chief ministers Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi, their daughter Misa Bharti, and 13 others in the land-for-jobs scam.
The alleged scam occurred when Yadav was Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009. Apart from the RJD leader, the chargesheet also includes the name of the then Railway General Manager.
