The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a supplementary charge sheet against former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his son Tejaswi Yadav, and other accused in the land-for-job scam case. This charge sheet, submitted to the Rouse Avenue Court, names 11 additional accused and includes 96 documents as evidence.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne recorded the supplementary charge sheet and scheduled the next hearing for August 13, where the charge sheet and documents will be reviewed. The ED, represented by the Joint Director of Enforcement, updated the court on the investigation's progress, following a directive to expedite and conclude the investigation.
The land-for-job scam case previously involved Bihar's former Chief Minister Rabri Devi, Misa Bharti, and Hema Yadav, among others. These individuals were earlier charged by the ED, and the court had granted regular bail to Rabri Devi, Misa Bharti, Hema Yadav, and Hridyanand Chaudhary.
In April, the court instructed the ED to finalise the investigation within two weeks. The ED has been probing allegations that land parcels were acquired by the Yadav family in exchange for railway jobs during Lalu Prasad Yadav's tenure as Railway Minister. The investigation revealed that seven land parcels, allegedly acquired from poor applicants, were sold at substantial profits.
A K Infosystem and A B Export, two firms associated with the case, were allegedly involved in these transactions. The ED reported that A K Infosystem, initially formed for IT data analysis, engaged in land purchases instead. This company was transferred to Rabri Devi and Tejaswi Yadav in 2014 for a nominal amount. A B Export, another implicated firm, purportedly used funds from other companies to purchase property in New Friends Colony, Delhi.
The ED's investigation uncovered unaccounted cash, foreign currency, gold bullion, and jewellery during searches in Delhi NCR, Patna, Mumbai, and Ranchi. The total proceeds of crime identified so far amount to approximately Rs 600 crore, including Rs 350 crore in immovable properties and Rs 250 crore in transactions routed through various entities.
One notable property is a bungalow in New Friends Colony, registered under A B Exports Private Limited and controlled by Tejashwi Yadav and his family. Although acquired for Rs 4 lakhs, its current market value is around Rs 150 crore. The ED suspects that illicit funds were used to purchase this property, which Tejashwi Yadav uses as his residence.
Further, the investigation revealed that several land parcels acquired from applicants for Group-D jobs were sold at significant profits to individuals like Syed Abu Dojana, an ex-RJD MLA. The proceeds from these sales were allegedly transferred to Tejashwi Yadav's account. The investigation found that many railway recruits came from constituencies linked to the Yadav family, indicating systemic corruption in the hiring process.
The Delhi High Court had previously refused to quash ED proceedings against Amit Katyal, who is accused of engaging in transactions with Lalu Prasad Yadav's family. The ED continues its investigation into the alleged misuse of railway jobs and properties, aiming to uncover the full extent of the corruption and hold those responsible accountable.
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