The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has prompted the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file a Prosecution Complaint against prominent individuals, such as Rabri Devi and Amit Katyal. This legal action, which stems from the infamous “Land for Job Scam,” dates back to January 8.
During Lalu Prasad Yadav’s tenure as the Railway Minister from 2004-2009, he was accused of exchanging land for jobs within the Indian Railways. This case not only implicated Lalu Yadav himself but also his relatives.
According to a statement by the ED, “The family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav, namely Rabri Devi, Misha Bharti, and Hema Yadav, who have been named as accused in the Prosecution Complaint, received land parcels from the families of candidates who were selected as Group D substitutes in the Indian Railways, for nominal amounts.”
On January 27, the Special Court in New Delhi initiated the trial and summoned the accused to appear on February 9. This legal process follows an extensive investigation conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which uncovered a pattern of alleged bartering of railway jobs for land, deviating from ethical governance, as stated by the ED.
The investigation shed light on the involvement of M/s A K Infosystems Private Limited and M/s A B Exports Pvt. Ltd., which were allegedly used as channels for the illicit transactions.
These allegations are supported by the seizures made by the ED in March 2023, which included cash and valuables amounting to approximately Rs. 2.25 crore, as well as the provisional attachment of properties worth Rs. 6.02 crore in July 2023.
Amit Katyal, who is accused of playing a significant role in managing the controversial companies, is currently in judicial custody following his arrest in November 2023.
Rabri Devi’s Gaushala employee
ED has stated that Rabri Devi, Misha Bharti, and Hema Yadav have obtained land at extremely low prices from families of individuals who secured jobs. The allegations also involve Hridyanand Chaudhary, who was previously employed at Rabri Devi’s Gaushala. According to the statement from ED, Hridyanand Chaudhary, who is another accused in the case, used to work at Rabri Devi’s Gaushala and acquired property from one of the candidates. Later, he transferred the same property to Hema Yadav. It is worth mentioning that Hema Yadav is the daughter of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi, who were former Chief Ministers of Bihar.