New Delhi: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday arrived at the the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) office here for questioning in connection with the agency's money laundering probe into the alleged land-for-jobs scam, officials said. The former Bihar deputy chief minister reached the ED office around 11.35 am, they said.
His father and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad was questioned by sleuths of the ED for over nine hours on Monday in connection with the same case. The central probe agency had on January 19 issued fresh summons for questioning Prasad and his son Tejashwi Yadav.
The ED had filed a prosecution complaint (PC) on January 1, 2024, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, against Amit Katyal, Rabri Devi, Misha Bharti, Hema Yadav, Hridyanand Chaudhary and two companies--A K Infosystems Private Limited, A B Exports Pvt. Ltd.--before the Special Court (PMLA), New Delhi, in the alleged scam.
It is widely reported that Amit Katyal, a businessman, has ties to former Bihar chief minister and RJD patriarch Lalu Yadav's family members. The central agency initiated investigations based on an FIR registered by CBI related to land for job scam alleging that Lalu Yadav, the then Railway Minister, indulged in corruption for the appointment of Group D substitutes in Indian Railways during the period 2004-2009.
The candidates were told to transfer land as a bribe in return for jobs in Indian Railways as per FIR. The CBI has also filed a charge sheet. The ED alleged that Lalu's kin--Rabri Devi, Misha Bharti, Hema Yadav--who are accused in the prosecution complaint--received land parcel(s) from family of candidates (who were selected as Group D substitutes in the Indian Railways) for nominal amounts.
Hridyanand Chaudhary, another accused in the prosecution complaint, is a former employee in gaushala of Rabri Devi, who had acquired a property from one of the candidates and later transferred the same to Hema Yadav.
The companies--A K Infosystems Private Limited, A B Exports Pvt. Ltd--were shell companies that received proceeds of crime for family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav. The ED said that the immovable properties were acquired in the said companies by front men and thereafter shares were transferred to family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav for nominal amounts.
Amit Katyal used to manage these companies for Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family. Earlier, the central agency conducted search operations on March 10, 2023, resulting in the seizure of cash of Rs 1 crore (approx) and valuables estimated at about Rs 1.25 crore.
The ED also provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 6.02 crore on July 29, last year. The agency arrested Amit Katyal on November 11, 2023 for knowingly assisting Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family in money laundering. Amit Katyal is in judicial custody as on date. Further investigation is underway.
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