Rs 150 cr bungalow in ED list of ‘findings’ from raids on properties linked to Lalu family

The ED also claimed to have seized jewellery and cash worth crores from the house of one of Lalu’s daughters, Ragini Yadav.

Tejashwi, who received a summons for questioning by the CBI in connection with the land-for-jobs case, skipped the same on Saturday. Sources said Tejashwi expressed his inability to join the probe as of now due to the health conditions of his wife, who is pregnant.

Breaking his silence on the matter, Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar Saturday asked why the ED and CBI were acting against Lalu Prasad and his family now, “after a gap of five years” and after he had left the BJP and joined hands with the RJD to form a government in the state.

JD(U) national president Lalan Singh described the situation as “an undeclared emergency”.

Speaking about the summons to Tejashwi, a CBI official said they had earlier asked him to appear on February 4. “However, due to some personal commitment, he had sought more time. He has again sought time and new summons will be issued.”

The four-storey bungalow in New Friends Colony was among 24 locations searched by the ED Friday. It said its probe had revealed that the property was “registered in the name of M/s A B Exports Private Limited, a company owned and controlled by Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and family”. The same property, according to the agency, is also the registered address of M/S AK Infosystems, which earlier had Tejashwi’s mother and former Bihar CM Rabri Devi as well as his sisters Ragini and Chanda as directors.

As per the ED, AK Infosystems received land from a railway job aspirant, as part of the alleged scam.

“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 (Tejashwi) Prasad Yadav, son of Lalu Prasad Yadav,” the ED said.

Tejashwi Yadav was present in the bungalow in New Friends Colony when it was raided on Friday. (Express photo by Prem Nath Pandey)

The property, the ED added, “was shown to have been acquired at a value of mere Rs 4 lakh, the present market value of which is approximately Rs 150 crore”.

Sources claimed that searches at the house of Tejashwi’s sister Ragini Yadav had yielded Rs 54 lakh in cash and 1.5 kg of gold jewellery.

ED searches were spread across Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Patna, Ranchi and Phulwari Sharif. Properties allegedly linked to Chanda, Ragini, their sister Hema were among those searched along with that of former RJD MLA Abu Dojana.

“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 benamidaars,” the ED said.

According to the agency, some of this money went into buying the New Friends Colony bungalow, after routing the same through a few Mumbai-based entities dealing in gems and jewellery.

The ED claims that “four parcels of land were acquired by the family of Lalu Yadav for just Rs 7.5 lakh from poor Group-D (railway jobs) applicants, and 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”.

Claiming that a major portion of the amount was transferred to the account of Tejashwi, the ED says: “Investigations revealed that in 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 investigation that in many Railways Zones, more than 50% of recruited candidates were from Lalu Yadav families’ constituencies. Further investigation in this regard is ongoing.”

On allegations from Lalu’s family that the ED had “tortured” Tejashwi’s pregnant wife and his sister’s children, the agency said: “While carrying out the searches, all legal formalities were fully observed and due courtesy was extended to the women, children and the senior citizens present.”

The ED case, filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in 2016, stems from a CBI probe into allegations that people were given employment in the Railways – when Lalu was the Railway Minister – in return for land parcels gifted or sold at cheap rates to the Yadav family and associates.

While the JD(U) had issued a statement on the latest action against Lalu and his family, Nitish who had in 2017 broken his alliance with the RJD on the grounds of corruption charges had so far not spoken on the issue.

On Saturday, talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function, the Bihar CM said: “I don’t react on such issues. In any case, those facing the action (of Central agencies) are speaking up in their defence… (But) I wonder how these raids have again started after a gap of five years. These had first started when we were part of the Mahagathbandhan in 2017 and now after I have returned to the Mahagathbandhan.”

Nitish added that in 2017, following the CBI raids at Lalu’s residence and after Tejashwi was named in the jobs-for-land case, he had asked Tejashwi to “explain”.

Asked about the JD(U) recently opting out of signing the joint Opposition letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on “misuse” of Central agencies, Nitish said: “Every party works in its own way. I do not need to be everywhere. Let there be Opposition unity, I am ready to travel anywhere for it. I have no personal desires. I want to work for broader Opposition unity.”

JD(U) national president Singh said: “Evidence could not be found in two probes (by Central agencies) in the land-for-jobs case. But after August 9, 2022 (the day Nitish snapped ties with the BJP and formed a government with the RJD), they have started getting new evidence. But wherever raids have taken place on the residences of Lalu Prasad and his family members, nothing has been found.”

He termed the current situation an “undeclared Emergency”, and said that subjecting of a pregnant woman and children to raids was “happening for the first time”. “However they may suppress us, the country will be BJP-free in 2024,” Singh said.

Lalu, who is recuperating from a kidney transplant, tweeted on Friday: “I have been at ideological loggerheads with the BJP qnd RSS and will remain so. I have never bowed down before them. No member of my party and family will ever bow to you (BJP).”