CBI books Lalu, Rabri and their daughters in graft case
Neeraj Chauhan and Mukesh Kumar Mishra
NEW DELHI/PATNA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a fresh case against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, two daughters and unknown public servants for allegedly taking land from 12 candidates in return for jobs in Railways during his stint as railway minister between 2004 and 2009.
Following the registration of a first information report (FIR) on May 18, the central agency carried out coordinated raids across 17 locations on Friday, including the residences of Lalu Yadav, his daughters – Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav – and named railway job candidates in Delhi, Patna and Gopalganj, officials said. According to a CBI official familiar with the matter, Lalu and his family acquired a total of 105,292 square feet of land in Patna through seven deeds (five sale deeds and two gift deeds) at throwaway prices from 12 private individuals, in return for Group D jobs in six different railway zones. These individuals who bribed the former minister are among 16 people named in the case. The Yadavs paid amounts ranging from ₹3 lakh to ₹13 lakh for seven parcels of land whose overall current value is ₹4.39 crore, the official said.
The agency had launched a preliminary enquiry (PE) – a precursor to the FIR – in the matter in September last year amid allegations that various persons were appointed as substitutes in Group D posts in different zones of Indian railways between 2004 and 2009, without following guidelines, in exchange of land by unknown public servants.
Group D refers to basic railway jobs with the lowest pay. The work involves maintenance of tracks, railway coaches, departments, stores etc and will depend on the post you get.
After eight months, an enquiry revealed that some individuals, although residents of Patna, were appointed as substitutes in Group D posts in Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur and Hajipur zones in Railways. In return, these individuals and their family members transferred their land in the name of Lalu’s family members and a family company – AK Infosystems Pvt Limited, the FIR said.
The private individuals who got jobs through Lalu’s reference transferred their lands ranging from 1,360 square feet to 80,905 square feet in different localities in Patna in the name of Lalu’s family members, the CBI alleged.
“Out of seven instances of land transfer, it is revealed that three sale deeds were executed in favour of Rabri Devi, one sale deed was executed in the name of Misa Bharti, one sale in favour of AK Infosystems Private Limited, in which later Rabri Devi became a major shareholder in 2014 and currently she is one of the Director of the Company. Two gift deeds were executed in favour of Hema Yadav,” the FIR said.
“The current value of above said seven parcels of land including the land acquired through gift deeds as per existing circle rate is about ₹43,980,650.”
Heavy deployment of police was seen outside Rabri Devi’s 10 Circular Road residence in Patna as teams of CBI sleuths arrived at the spot at around 6.30 am on Friday. The searches were held till 8.30 pm.
The agency also raided 10 houses of suspected job beneficiaries in Mahuabagh under Rupuspur police station in Patna, Lalu’s relatives in Gopalanj and his native village in Phulwaria. The raids in Gopalganj continued for over four hours, during which the agency also searched the house of Lalu’s distant relative, Hirdayanad Choudhary, in Itawah village under Uchkagaon police station.
Shortly after the raids at the former chief’s residence in Patna, RJD leaders and workers protested against the action.
RJD spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha said he was not surprised by the CBI action. “They (Bharatiya Janata Party) have sent the parrot to (Lalu’s) house,” he added.
The BJP, which rules the Centre and shares power in the state, said the CBI was working in accordance with the mandate it enjoyed as an “independent agency”. BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Modi said the issue was raised by him in 2017.
“In 2017, I highlighted the issue through a book named Lalu Leela,” he said.