The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken a significant step in the railways land-for-jobs money laundering case by filing its inaugural charge sheet. This legal move, directed at former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and her Member of Parliament daughter Misa Bharti, marks a pivotal development in the ongoing investigation.
The prosecution complaint, also implicating an alleged “close associate” of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family, Amit Katyal, alongside several other individuals and companies, was filed before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Delhi. The court has scheduled the matter for hearing on January 16, as per sources cited by the Press Trust of India.
Amit Katyal, who was arrested by the ED in November last year, has been named in the charge sheet. However, Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, summoned by the agency, are yet to provide their statements.
The alleged fraudulent scheme traces back to the tenure of Mr. Prasad as the railway minister during the UPA-1 government. It is reported that between 2004 and 2009, numerous individuals secured Group “D” positions in various Indian Railways zones. In exchange, these individuals purportedly transferred their land to the family members of the then-railway minister and a connected company named AK Infosystems Private Limited.
The money laundering case, brought under the criminal sections of the PMLA, stems from a complaint initiated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CBI had previously filed a charge sheet in this case, highlighting the alleged nexus between job appointments and land transactions during Mr. Prasad’s ministerial tenure.
This latest charge sheet from the ED marks a significant escalation in the investigation, shedding light on the alleged interconnection between job allocations within the Indian Railways and the transfer of land assets, potentially involving prominent political figures.
The court’s scheduled hearing on January 16 is anticipated to provide further insights into this intricate case as the legal proceedings progress.
Sources By Agencies
