ED files chargesheet against Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family in land-for-jobs case
The court has decided that the case will be heard on January 16.
Land-for-employment: The first chargesheet in the “railway land-for-jobs” related money laundering case, which names former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and her MP daughter Misa Bharti, among others, was filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday, the official sources said. Also named in the charge sheet are Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s other daughter Hema Yadav (40), an alleged “close associate” of the Yadav family, Amit Katyal (49), railway employee and alleged beneficiary Hridayanand Chaudhary, two companies AK Infosystems Pvt. Ltd., and AB Exports Pvt. Ltd., through their joint director Shariqul Bari.
The complaint against the seven accused has been filed before a special Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) court in Delhi. The court heard the matter on January 16, the sources said.
The ED arrested Amit Katyal in the case in November last year, while Lalu Prasad Yadav was summoned by the agency but is yet to be deposed. However, his son and Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav has been deposed before the duty once and has been asked to appear before the duty again.
Rabri Devi (68), RJD Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti (47) and two other daughters of Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi, Chanda Yadav and Ragini Yadav, have been questioned by the ED in the case.
The alleged land-for-employment fraud in the railways dates back to when Lalu Yadav was railway minister in the UPA-1 government.
It is alleged that between 2004 and 2009, several people were appointed to Group “D” positions in different zones of the Indian Railways, and instead these people transferred their lands to the relatives of the then Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and a Het associated company called AK Infosystems Private Limited, which is said to be a ‘beneficiary company’ in the case, and whose registered address in South Delhi’s New Friends Colony was used by Tejashwi Yadav, the ED had earlier said.
The ED has said that Amit Katyal was the director of this company.
As for AB Exports Pvt Ltd, it is said to be a ‘shell’ or fake company owned by Tejashwi Yadav and Chanda Yadav and its registered address is also New Friends Colony in South Delhi.
The ED alleged that Rabri Devi and Hema Yadav had ‘illegally’ sold four plots from railway appointees to Meridian Construction India Ltd., a company related to Syed Abu Dojana, a former RJD MLA, and the ‘proceeds of crime’ that were thus obtained. by Rabri Devi and Hema Yadav were further transferred through a maze of transactions to AB Exports Pvt Ltd and Bhagirathi Tubes respectively.
The ED earlier alleged that Rabri Devi and Hema Yadav sold these plots for Rs 3.5 crore against the acquisition cost of Rs 7.5 lakh, thereby making huge profits.
In the charge sheet, ED has asked the court to prosecute the suspect for the offense of money laundering and has earlier seized the assets seized in this case.
The money laundering case, filed under the criminal wings of the PMLA, stems from a complaint filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CBI had earlier filed a chargesheet in the case.
Assets worth over Rs 6 crore belonging to Rabri Devi, Misa Bharti and associated companies were seized by the ED last year as part of this investigation.
(With PTI inputs)