The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday searched nine premises linked to Rashtriya Janata Dal MLA Kiran Devi and Rajya Sabha member Prem Chand Gupta, in connection with the alleged land-for-job scam involving former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and others, according to an agency official.
“The premises related to Ms. Devi and her husband, Arun Singh, are located in Bihar’s Bhojpur and Patna, and those connected to Mr. Gupta are in Delhi, Gurugram and Rewari in Haryana, and Noida in Uttar Pradesh. Their names have come up during the ongoing probe,” the official said.
The CBI had registered the First Information Report based on the findings of a preliminary enquiry into the allegation that during 2004 and 2009, several ineligible candidates were appointed as substitutes to the Railways’ Group-D posts in exchange for land parcels. In October 2022, it filed a chargesheet against Mr. Yadav and 15 others, including his wife Rabri Devi and eldest daughter Misa Bharti.
Based on the CBI case, the Enforcement Directorate is conducting a money-laundering probe. The agencies allege that about 1.05 lakh sq ft of land in Patna was acquired by Mr. Yadav’s family members; and in most cases, payments were shown in cash. The land parcels directly transferred to them were bought at amounts ranging from ₹3.75 lakh to ₹13 lakh, which was lower than the then-prevailing circle rates.
In its case, the ED had earlier alleged detection of “proceeds of crime” currently worth ₹600 crore. Last month, it had recorded the statement of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and some others in the same case.
