NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday filed its first charge sheet in connection with the railways land-for-jobs money laundering case, in which it has named former Bihar chief ministers Lalu Prasad and wife Rabri Devi, among others.
According to official sources, the charge sheet, which was submitted on Tuesday at the Rouse Avenue court, also named Hema Yadav (Lalu Prasad’s daughter), Hridyanand Chaudhary (co-accused), Lalu Prasad’s aide Amit Katyal, and two firms, namely AK Infosystems and AB Exports.
The PMLA Court has listed the matter for January 16. Last month, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and his father Lalu Prasad were summoned by the financial fraud probe agency regarding the same case. While Lalu is yet to appear before the agency, Tejashwi deposed and was asked to appear again. However, Tejashwi has not been named by the ED in the charge sheet.
The case relates to alleged appointments made in the railways in return for land parcels gifted or sold to Lalu Prasad’s family when he was the railway minister between 2004 and 2009. According to the ED, it is alleged that from 2004 to 2009, several people were appointed to Group ‘D’ positions in various zones of the Indian Railways, and in return, these people transferred their land to the family members of the then railway minister Lalu Prasad and a linked company named AK Infosystems Private Limited, in which Katyal held the post of director.
Pertinently, over the last few months, the probe agency has recorded the statements of former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, their daughters Misa Bharti (RJD MP in Rajya Sabha), Chanda Yadav, and Ragini Yadav in connection with the case.
The ED had earlier informed that AK Infosystems is allegedly a beneficiary company in the case, and its registered address in South Delhi’s New Friends Colony was being used by Tejashwi. Katyal, who was arrested on November 11, 2023, has been a director of this firm.
As per sources, several other lands were also acquired by Katyal in the said company, allegedly in return for giving undue favours by Lalu Prasad when he was the railway minister. “After acquiring the lands, shares of the said company were transferred to the family members of Lalu Prasad in 2014,” the source said.
Co-accused
The ED charge sheet also named Hema Yadav (Lalu Prasad’s daughter), Hridyanand Chaudhary (co-accused), his aide Amit Katyal, and two firms, namely AK Infosystems and AB Exports.