Land-For-Jobs Scam: RJD Chief Lalu Yadav Appears Before ED In Patna Amid Protest By Party Workers

A large number of RJD workers are present at the ED office in Patna to protest against the central government.

The alleged scam pertains to the period when Lalu Prasad was the railway minister in the Congress-led UPA-1 government. It is alleged that from 2004 to 2009, several people were appointed to Group "D" positions in various zones of the Indian Railways and in lieu, these people transferred their land to the family members of the then railway minister Prasad and a linked company named A K Infosystems Private Limited.

Meanwhile, a Delhi Court on Saturday also summoned former Bihar chief minister and Lalu Yadav's wife Rabri Devi and her daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav along with others after taking cognisance of an Enforcement Directorate (ED) charge sheet against them in the railways land-for-jobs linked money laundering case.

Special Judge Vishal directed the accused to appear before the court on February 9, saying there were sufficient grounds to proceed in the matter.

The judge also issued a production warrant against businessman Amit Katyal, who is presently in judicial custody in the case.

An alleged "close associate" of the Yadav family Katyal (49), railway employee and alleged beneficiary Hridayanand Chaudhary, two firms A K Infosystems Pvt. Ltd. and A B Exports Pvt. Ltd., through their common director Shariqul Bari, have also been named in the charge sheet.

Katyal was arrested in this case by the ED in November last year while former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav was summoned by the agency but is yet to depose.

However, his son and Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav has deposed once before the agency. He has been asked to appear again before it. The agency is expected to file supplementary chargesheets in the case.

(with PTI inputs)