DNA Explainer: What is 'land for jobs' scam in which Lalu-Tejashwi aides are facing CBI heat?

The CBI on Wednesday carried out searches at over two dozen locations, including at an under-construction mall in Gurugram believed to being built by a firm owned by Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, in connection with the land-for-jobs scam. 

The searches were conducted in Delhi, Gurugram, Patna, Madhubani, Katihar among others. The under-construction Urban Cubes mall in sector 71 of Gurugram is being constructed by a company Whiteland in which Yadav's family has a stake in ownership, according to officials. 

The search operation comes on a day when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who parted ways with the BJP to ally with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), is facing a trust vote in the state assembly.

The RJD termed the CBI action as a “witch hunt” with former CM and Tejashwi’s mother Rabri Devi saying that the central government was afraid of the Mahagathbandhan government. 

What is land-for-jobs case?

The alleged scam took place during the tenure of Prasad as Union railway minister between 2004 and 2009. 

The case in which searches are being conducted was registered on May 18 against RJD supremo Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, and daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, in addition to 12 people who were given jobs in Railway zones of Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur, Hajipur in 2008-09, the officials said.

The central agency had registered a preliminary enquiry on September 23, 2021 related to the land-for-jobs scam in Railways.

The candidates were allegedly appointed as substitutes in group D positions within three days of applying in "undue haste" by Railway officials and were later regularised "in lieu thereof the individuals themselves or their family members transferred their land," according to the agency.

The transfers were made through three sale deeds in the name of Rabri Devi and one in the name of Misa Bharti and two gift deeds in the name of Hema Yadav, the agency alleged.

The agency 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.

"The current value of the above said seven parcels of land, including the land acquired through gift deeds, as per the existing circle rate is about Rs 4.39 crore.... Enquiry has revealed that the parcel of land, which was directly purchased by the family members of Lalu Prasad from the sellers, was purchased at lower rates than the prevailing circle rates," the FIR has alleged.

The CBI also found that no advertisement or public notice was issued for appointing the substitutes at Zonal Railway. However, kin of those who transferred land to Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family were appointed in Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur and Hazipur in Indian Railways.

The arrest of Lalu Yadav’s key aide Bhola Yadav, who was the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Lalu Prasad when he was the railway minister, also unearthed several aspects of the alleged scam.

The CBI has claimed that Yadav was persuading the engagement of various candidates as substitutes in Group-D with the concerned railway authorities. It has further alleged that Yadav was instrumental in finalisation/execution of the land deals.