CBI quizzes Rabri in land-for-job case; political slugfest intensifies
PATNA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday questioned former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and issued a notice to her husband and former Union railway minister Lalu Prasad in connection with an alleged land-for-jobs scam, triggering sharp reactions from the Opposition which accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre of trying to “suppress” its voice through the use of central agencies. The BJP, however, dismissed the claims and said CBI was “doing its job as an independent agency”.
Rabri, Lalu and their daughter Misa Bharti and 13 others are accused in the case that pertains to taking land from 12 candidates in return for jobs in the railways between 2004 and 2009. Lalu was the railway minister during this period. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief is likely to be questioned at Misa’s residence in Delhi on Tuesday.
According to people aware of the details, a four-member CBI team arrived at Rabri’s residence at 10, Circular Road in Patna at 10.30am and questioned her for five hours. “They (the Centre) will bother us a thousand times but we won’t bow down,” Rabri said after the team left her residence at around 3.30pm.
Her elder son Tej Pratap Yadav was present in the house during the questioning; her younger son and deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav had already left for Bihar assembly by the time CBI sleuths had arrived, the people cited above said.
“After the court issued summons to Rabri, her husband and daughter, it directed the agency to record their statement,” a CBI officer said, seeking anonymity.
On February 27, a Delhi court had issued summons and directed all the accused to appear before it on March 15 in the case.
“Lalu has also been summoned for questioning in the case. He is likely to be quizzed on Tuesday. The questioning
revolves around transfer of land by railways jobs aspirants to the Yadavs and their family members. The land parcels were transferred at throwaway rates,” a second CBI officer said, also seeking anonymity.
In September 2021, CBI had launched a preliminary enquiry (PE) – a precursor to the FIR – in the matter 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.
CBI registered its FIR in the case on May 18 last year. It also raided 16 locations, including the residences of Lalu and Misa.
In its charge sheet on October 10 last year, the CBI named 16 people in the case. Besides Lalu and his family, former general manager of Central Railways, Soumya Raghavan, former railways chief personnel officer Kamal Deep Mainrai, seven aspirants appointed as substitutes and four private individuals have been named in the charge sheet.
CBI’S interrogation on Monday triggered a political row after Tejashwi Yadav alleged that the action was a result of his family’s “relentless” opposition to the BJP.
“It is an open secret that probe agencies are acting against political opponents of the BJP and helping those who agree to align with that party,” he said.
He also said that his father had “no powers” to provide employment in exchange for favours as the then railway minister.
The Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also attacked the Centre. “Today Rabri Devi ji is being harassed. Lalu Prasad ji and his family have been harassed for years because they did not bow down,” Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted.
AAP convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that targeting and harassing opposition leaders is wrong.
The BJP, however, asserted that the CBI was “doing its job as an independent agency” and Prasad was “reaping what he had sown”. Senior BJP leader Nitin Nabin said: “Lalu Prasad’s brush with CBI has been long. The fodder scam cases, in which he has been convicted, were lodged much before the BJP came into the picture.”