The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a charge sheet exposing a land-for-jobs scam involving Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad and his family. The charge sheet alleges that Lalu Prasad and his family members acquired land at discounted rates from candidates who secured jobs in the railways, with the apparent intention to “consolidate” their existing land holdings, thereby increasing their overall land value in the real estate market.
According to the charge sheet, seven land parcels in Patna were transferred to Lalu’s wife, Rabri Devi, and daughter, Hema Yadav, by the family members of candidates who applied for and received jobs as Group D substitutes in railways during Lalu’s tenure as the Minister of Railways from 2004 to 2009.
The ED claims that some candidates, in exchange for jobs, transferred land to individuals who worked for Rabri Devi as a security guard and Gaushala (dairy) worker. These individuals, in turn, transferred land to the Lalu family. The charge sheet points to a larger scheme where the family aimed to consolidate land holdings already in their possession to boost profits in the real estate market.
The charge sheet names Lalu’s wife Rabri Devi, daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, along with others as accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED has intensified its investigations, questioning Lalu and his son Tejashwi Yadav recently. However, neither Lalu nor Tejashwi has been named as accused in this specific charge sheet, leaving room for potential supplementary charge sheets as the investigation progresses.
The charge sheet alleges that illegal gratifications obtained by Lalu Prasad and his family members in the form of land parcels were proceeds of crime derived from criminal activity. These land parcels were acquired in the names of Rabri Devi, Misa Bharti, Hema Yadav, and AK Infosystems Pvt Ltd, a company where the family holds ownership.
The candidates or their family members, who received jobs, transferred land to Rabri Devi and other individuals, strategically situated adjacent to a parcel of land bought by Rabri Devi in 1991. The ED contends that this was not just about accepting illegal gratifications but a larger design to consolidate land holdings and increase their value in the real estate market.
Referring to AK Infosystems, the charge sheet suggests that it acted as a tool for Lalu Prasad Yadav to hold on to ill-gotten wealth without detection by authorities. The family acquired AK Infosystems in 2014, with Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav holding 85% and 15%, respectively.
The charge sheet further claims that after the Income Tax department initiated proceedings against the Yadavs in 2017, their chartered accountant advised them to regularize affairs of the companies to avoid detection and project past transactions in a more legal light.
The companies named in the charge sheet, AK Infosystems and A B Exports Pvt Ltd, have been termed shell companies by the ED, allegedly receiving proceeds of crime. The case revolves around the violation of existing procedures in the appointment of substitutes in Group-D jobs in Indian Railways between 2004-09 and the alleged sale of land to the Lalu family at discounted rates.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the ED’s revelations shed light on a complex web of transactions that raise questions about the ethical standards in the appointment process and the subsequent financial dealings involving influential political figures.
Sources By Agencies
