‘Land-for-jobs scam’: Delhi court grants bail to Lalu Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav

Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Monday granted bail to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his sons Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav in the land-for-jobs money laundering case. 

They have been granted bail on furnishing a bail bond of Rs. 1 lakh each and surety bond in the like amount. Lalu Yadav's daughter and party MP Misa Bharti also arrived in court with them. Special judge Vishal Gogne granted bail to Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejaswi Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav and other accused persons.

The next date of hearing is October 25. Tejashwi Yadav said, "They keep indulging in political conspiracy. They misuse agencies. There is nothing concrete in this case. Our victory is certain."

Earlier the Rouse Avenue court had issued summons to Lalu Prasad Yadav, his sons Tejaswi Yadav and other charge sheeted accused in Land for Job Money Laundering case. The court additionally issued summons to Tej Pratap Yadav also. The Court had summoned Akhileshwar Singh as well his wife Kiran Devi.

Special CBI judge Vishal Gogne issued summons to Lalu Prasad Yadav and his two sons and other six accused. The court said that there is sufficient material to proceed further against the accused persons.The Court said that involvement of Tej Pratap Yadav can not be ruled out. He was also a director of AK Infosys Ltd. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed a supplementary charge sheet against 11 accused on August 6. Four of them died. 

Tej Pratap Yadav was not charge sheeted by the ED but the court found sufficient material against him to issue summons. Tej Pratap Yadav was summoned for the first time in land for job case.The court had summoned Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejaswi Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav, Akhileshwar Singh, Hazari Prasad Rai, Sanjay Rai, Dharmendra Singh, Kiran Devi.

The court said that ED made Akhileshwar Singh an accused but not his wife Kiran Devi. She had sold the land to Misa Bharti for the job of her son Abhisek.The Rouse Avenue court on August 17, reserved order on summoning to former Railway Minister and Bihar's former Deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav and others in Land for Job Money Laundering case under PMLA.

The ED on August 6, filed Ist supplementary charge sheet against Former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, former deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav and other accused in land for job scam. This supplementary charge sheet has name of Lallan Chaudhary, Hazari Rai, Dharmender Kumar, Akhileshwar Singh, Ravinder Kumar, Late Lal Babu Rai, Sonmatia Devi, Late Kishun Dev Rai and Sanjay Rai.

Four accused namely Lallan Chaudhary, Lal Babu Rai, Kishun Dev Rai and Sonmatia Devi died. Proceedings against them have been abated by the court. On July 6, the Rouse Avenue court had granted time and directed that ED shall file additional/ concluding charge sheet by the next date of hearing. Joint director of Enforcement Director had also appeared pursuant to direction of the court. He apprised the court about the status of investigation and steps taken by the agency.

Former Bihar CM Rabri Devi, Misa Bharti and Hema alongwith other accused had already been charge sheeted by the ED in this case. ED's SPP Manish Jain alongwith Snehal Sharda appeared for ED before the court.Special public prosecutor (SPP) clarified that it is a supplementary charge sheet based on the evidence and material agency has till now. Earlier, the court had directed the ED to expedite the investigation, it had directed that ED shall file additional/concluding charge sheet by the next date.

In April,.the court had directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to finalise the conclusion of pending investigation in Land for Job money laundering case within two weeks. In this case Bihar's former CM Rabri Devi, her daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav have been charge sheeted along with Amit Katyal and Hridyanand Chaudhary. All accused except Amit Katyal appeared through video conferencing. On February 28, court had granted regular bail to Rabri Devi, Misa Bharti, Hema Yadav and Hridyanand Chaudhary. On January 27, the court had issued summons to former Bihar CM Rabri Devi, Misa Bharti, Hema Yadav, Hridyanand Chaudhary and other accused in Land for Job money laundering case.

Amit Katyal was arrested by the ED during investigation.Two firms namely A K Infosystem and A B Export have also been made accused in this case. ED had submitted that In 2006-07 A K infosystem was formed by Amit Katyal and its business was IT data analysis. No real business was done. Instead, several land parcels were bought by the company. One land parcel pertains to the main predicate offence that is land for job.

This company was transferred in the name of Rabri Devi and Tejaswi Yadav in 2014 for the consideration of one lakh Rupees, ED submitted. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on January 9, 2024 filed a Prosecution Complaint (Charge sheet) in Land for job scam money laundering case.ED submitted that A B Export was supposed to be in the business of export. It was incorporated in 1996. In 2007, Rs. five crore came through five companies and a property in New Friends colony was purchased. In this case seven land parcels are involved. 

Out of these Rabri, Hema Yadav, Misa Bharti got land parcels. Later on They sold out their land parcels.ED's Special Public Prosecutor had apprised the court that the Yadav Family members are beneficiaries of proceed of crime. Katyal is said to be a close aide of former railways minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.

The Delhi High Court had refused to quash Enforcement Directorate (ED) proceedings against Amit Katyal, who is accused of engaging in transactions with the family members of former railways minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.

According to the ED in March month, based on the specific intelligence inputs, searches were conducted at 24 locations at various places in Delhi NCR, Patna, Mumbai and Ranchi in the Railways Land for Job Scam, which resulted in recovery of unaccounted cash of Rs 1 Crore, foreign currency including USD 1900, 540 gms gold bullion and more than 1.5 kg of gold jewellery (worth Rs 1.25 Crores approximately), several other incriminating documents including various property documents, sale deeds etc held in the names of family members and benamidaars indicating illegal accretion of huge land bank and electronic devices.

Searches resulted in detection of Proceeds of Crime amounting to Rs 600 Crore approximately at this point of time which is in the form of immovable properties of Rs 350 Crore and transactions of Rs 250 Crore routed through various benamidars, ED stated.

According to the ED PMLA investigation conducted so far has revealed that several pieces of land at prominent locations in Patna and other areas were illegally acquired by the family of the then Rail Mantri, Lalu Prasad Yadav in lieu of jobs provided in Railways. The current market value of these land parcels is more than Rs 200 Crore. In this regard, several benamidars, shell entities and beneficial owners for these lands have been identified.

Further, investigation under PMLA revealed that the property situated at New Friends Colony, Delhi (independent 4 storied bungalow, registered in the name of M/s A B Exports Private Limited, a company owned and controlled by Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and family) was shown to have been acquired at a value of mere Rs 4 Lakhs, the present market value of which is approximately Rs 150 Crore. 

It is suspected that huge amount of cash/Proceeds of Crime has been infused in purchasing this property and few Mumbai based entities, dealing in the gems and jewellery sector were used to channel ill-gotten proceeds of crime in this regard. 

The property has been though, on paper declared as office of M/s A B Exports Private Limited and M/s AK Infosystems Pvt ltd, it is being exclusively used as residential premises by Tejasvi Prasad Yadav, son of Lalu Prasad Yadav. During the searches, Tejasvi Prasad Yadav was found to be staying at this house and was found to be using this house as his residential property. 

ED investigation has found that 4 parcels of lands acquired by the family of Lalu Yadav in just Rs 7.5 Lakhs from poor Group-D applicants were sold to Syed Abu Dojana, Ex-RJD MLA by Mrs. Rabri Devi with huge gains at Rs 3.5 Crore in a collusive deal. ED investigation further revealed that a major portion of the amount thus received, was transferred to the account of Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. 

Investigations revealed that in the similar fashion, lands were taken from several poor parents and candidates in lieu of Group D jobs in the Railways. It has been revealed during the investigation that in many Railways Zones, more than 50 percent of recruited candidates were from Lalu Yadav families' constituencies, stated ED.

(with inputs from ANI)