The CBI is taking a fresh look at the enquiry against RJD chief and former chief minister of Bihar Lalu Prasad Yadav, in a Railway projects allocation bribery case, investigation were stalled in 2021 due to lack of sufficient evidence.
According to sources in the CBI the matter, which dates back to the time when Yadav held the Railways portfolio in the UPA-led government, is being re-looked. The CBI recently filed a chargsheet in October this year against the RJD chief, his wife Rabri Devi and 14 others in an alleged land-for-jobs scam during his tenure in the Railways.
The investigation into the matter which was still at the preliminary enquiry (PE) stage was terminated by CBI in the absence of any material evidence of substantive proof. The PE, initiated in 2018, was based on allegations that Lalu Prasad’s son Tejashwi, now the deputy chief minister of Bihar, and daughters Chanda and Ragini had bought a company AB Exports, allegedly a shell company, through which property deals worth crores were done.
Money, allegedly taken by Yadav as bribe, when he was minister of the Railways for allotment of projects in New Delhi and Bandra Railway stations were routed through AB Exports. However due to lack of evidence the investigations were stalled in around May 2021.
Sources said amidst in the recent chargesheet filed by CBI in October where the names of Prasad’s daughter Misa Bharti and a former general manager of the Railways also figure as accused in the charge sheet filed before a special CBI court recently, the CBI is taking a re relook into the stalled PE of the 2018 matter.
The PE into the land-for-jobs scam case, was registered by the CBI on September 23, 2021 and was converted into an FIR on May 18. As per investigations individuals were allegedly appointed as substitutes in group D positions within three days of applying in "undue haste" by Railway officials and were later regularised when the "individuals themselves or their family members transferred their land", according to the agency.
The transfers were made through deeds in the name of Rabri Devi and daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, it was alleged.
The CBI has alleged that land measuring about 1.05 lakh square feet in Patna was acquired by Prasad's family members by making payments to the sellers in cash.