Patna, March 18 (HS): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned former Chief Minister of Bihar, Rabri Devi, for questioning in the case involving land in exchange for jobs in the railways. She was scheduled to appear at the ED office in Patna at 10 AM on Tuesday. Rabri Devi and Tej Pratap Yadav have arrived at the ED office. The ED is currently interrogating both of them. The ED has also sent a summons to Tej Pratap Yadav, the elder son of RJD supremo Lalu Yadav, in this case. This is the first time the ED is questioning Tej Pratap regarding this matter.

In the land-for-job case, the ED had conducted extensive questioning of Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav in January of this year. On January 20, 2024, the ED team questioned Lalu Yadav for nearly 10 hours in Delhi and Patna.

The Allegations by CBI

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleges that Lalu Prasad Yadav committed a major scam while serving as the Minister of Railways from 2004 to 2009. Under this scheme, in the name of providing jobs in the railways, properties and land were transferred in the names of Lalu's family members. In return for these lands, large-scale jobs were given in zones like Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur, and Hajipur.

It is alleged that the Lalu family acquired more than 1 lakh square feet of land in Bihar for just 26 lakh rupees, while the estimated value of the land at that time, according to government rates, was approximately 4.39 crores. In most cases concerning these lands, payments were made to the owners in cash.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar