Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to the ‘land scam in lieu of jobs’. The case is between 2004–2009, when Lalu Yadav was the Railway Minister in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. The scam was first investigated by the CBI, but after the angle of money laundering surfaced in it, the ED also started investigation.
The ED has summoned Lalu Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi and son Tej Pratap Yadav for questioning.
What is ‘land scam in exchange for jobs’?
It is alleged in this scam that in return for giving Group D jobs of Railways, the candidates and their families were written at a quarter to one price.
- In this recruitment process, the rules were openly violated.
- Those who were given jobs, they named their precious lands in the name of Lalu Yadav and his family at a low price of 75% from the market price.
- The CBI registered an FIR in the case and started investigation, after which the ED also took the case in its hand.
What were the charges in the charge sheet?
Both ED and CBI have filed several charge sheet in this case. In the charge sheet filed in August 2024, the ED said that Amit Katyal, close to Lalu Yadav, formed a company called AK Infosystems.
- Several lands were transferred to Patna in the name of this company.
- Later, Amit Katyal transferred 100% stake of the company to Lalu Yadav’s family.
- In this, 85% stake was named after Rabri Devi, while Tejashwi Yadav got 15% shares.
150 crore bungalow purchased in Delhi – ED revealed
The ED made another big disclosure in its charge sheet.
- The government value of the assets with AK Infosystems was estimated at Rs 1.89 crore.
- But its real market price was Rs 63 crore.
- This entire shareholding was transferred to Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav for just Rs 1 lakh.
In addition, ED came to know about another company ‘AB Exports Private Limited’.
- The company holds 98.25% stake in Tejashwi Yadav, while his sister Chanda Yadav is with 1.75%.
- A bungalow was purchased in New Friends Colony in Delhi after the name of this company.
- The price of this bungalow was shown Rs 5 crore in the documents, but according to the ED, its actual price is Rs 150 crore.
