NEW DELHI, July 31: Assets worth ₹ six crores of Lalu Yadav and his family were seized by the Enforcement Directorate on Monday in an alleged corruption case.
Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi, both former Chief Ministers, and some of their children, including Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, are being investigated in what is known as the Bihar land-for-jobs scam. The ED is investigating the case.
”A total of 6 immovable properties situated at New Delhi, Ghaziabad and Patna being proceeds of crime, have been provisionally attached under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002,” the probe agency said in a statement.
Lalu Yadav and his family members are accused of buying land dirt-cheap in exchange for jobs during his stint as Union Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009. ”The investigation by ED revealed that the family members of candidates gifted/sold land (at cheap rates/lesser than the circle rate) to family members of Lalu Yadav and associated companies in lieu of job which was given in a malafide manner with undue haste and in violation of extant law and procedure,” the agency added.
Earlier in this case, searches were also conducted at 24 locations by the agency at various places in Delhi NCR, Patna, Mumbai and Ranchi that resulted in recovery of unaccounted cash of ₹ 1 Crore, foreign currency, more than 1.5 kg of gold jewellery and several other incriminating documents indicating illegal accretion of huge land bank.
The CBI, which is also investigating the case, filed the first charge sheet in the alleged scam in October last year. On July 3, the central agency filed the second charge sheet in the case, but first in which Tejashwi Yadav has been named as an accused.
The agency had registered the case on May 18, 2022 against Lalu Prasad and 15 others. The accused have been charged under Indian Penal Code sections related to criminal conspiracy, cheating and others in addition to provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
(Manas Dasgupta)
