ED summons former Bihar CM Rabri Devi and son Tej Pratap in ‘land-for-jobs scam’

“We have got some new facts related to the case, so we are summoning them to verify all the facts,” a source said.

Last month, a Delhi court summoned Lalu, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi, and Tej Pratap, and daughters Hema and Misa Bharti in connection with the corruption case linked to the land-for-jobs scam being investigated by CBI. “The court finds sufficient grounds to summon all accused viz. A-1 to A-78 except V K Raina (A-63) and Pradeep Kumar (A-68) who have been extended a pardon by the court…,” said the Special Judge.

ED, in its over 4,700 pages long chargesheet filed last year, has alleged that a company was incorporated solely to buy land parcels from job seekers. In a money laundering case related to the land for jobs scam, the agency has named Rabri Devi, her daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, companies A K Infosystems and AB Exports Pvt Ltd (ABEPL), former Railways employee Hridyanand Chaudhary, and Amit Katyal, director of A K Infosystems, as an accused. Last year, it attached immovable properties worth Rs 6.02 crore in this case, and also arrested Katyal.

According to the chargesheet, Katyal “in connivance with Lalu hatched a conspiracy” to incorporate a company in Delhi to buy land parcels situated in Bihar from prospective job seekers. ED alleged that Rabri Devi was a beneficiary of the proceeds of crime, and that through a shell company, she helped in transferring funds to her son Tejashwi Yadav, which were allegedly used in the construction of a property in Delhi’s New Friends Colony.

According to ED, several parcels of land were acquired by Katyal in “return for giving undue favours by Lalu”. After acquiring these lands, the shares of A K Infosystems were transferred to Lalu’s family members in 2014 for just Rs 1 lakh, even though the company allegedly owned land worth Rs 1.77 crore. A K Infosystems, thus, served as a tool for Lalu to conceal the proceeds of crime in a way which would hide any apparent link between the crime and its real beneficiaries, the agency said in its submissions to the Court.

Moreover, the agency has alleged that ABEPL, a shell company controlled by Lalu’s family members with Katyal, served the purpose of holding the property situated at D-1088, New Friends Colony. This, the agency alleged, was used to integrate the proceeds of crime into the mainstream economy.

(With PTI inputs)