Guwahati: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav is currently the target of raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in association with the land-for-jobs scam case. The ED investigators began their searches at the RJD leader’s home in the New Friends colony of the nation’s capital at 8.30 am.
The ED officials also reached the residence of Samajwadi Party leader Jitendra Yadav in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad in connection with the case. Jitendra Yadav is the husband of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s daughter Ragini.
Additionally, searches are being done in three states and 15 places in relation to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) scam. The home of RJD politician and Lalu Prasad Yadav’s aide Abu Dojana in Patna, Bihar, is also the target of raids.
The properties connected to Lalu Yadav and his family are among the targets of the ED investigations, which are currently taking place in Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
Days prior to the searches, the CBI questioned former Bihar CM Rabri Devi and RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav regarding the land-for-jobs scam.
The case involves individuals who were allegedly offered jobs in the railways in exchange for giving or selling land parcels to the Yadav family and its associates at a discount.
The CBI has filed a chargesheet in the case against Prasad, his wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and 14 others under charges of criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and all the accused have been summoned on March 15.
Lalu Prasad Yadav is accused by the CBI of receiving financial benefits in the form of the transfer of landed property into the names of his family members in exchange for the appointment of replacements to Group “D” Posts in various Railway Zones during the 2004–2009 period while serving as the Minister of Railways.
This CBI complaint led to the ED investigation, which was brought under the criminal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, the leaders of the opposition party claimed that the government was abusing state agencies to settle political scores. Tejashwi Yadav also signed the document. Lalu Yadav was mentioned in the letter as one of the opposition figures the government agents were after.
RJD REACTS TO ED HEAT
The RJD has reacted to the raids conducted by the ED in the lands-for-job scam and slammed the ruling BJP for the same.
“We are not afraid of ED and CBI. This is done at the behest of the BJP in view of the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The more you suppress Lalu and Tejashwi, the more they will emerge,” spokesperson Uday Narayan Chaudhary said.
The BJP has lost faith in democracy. Action is being taken by central agencies due to political pressure. BJP will be wiped out in 2024. Tomorrow, when BJP will sit in opposition, then CBI and ED will reach their places,” RJD leader Mritunjay Tiwari said.