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CBI recovers over 200 deeds during raids in Bihar land-for-jobs scam: Report
The searches were conducted at 25 different locations in Delhi, Gurugram's Haryana, and Patna, Madhubani and Katihar in Bihar. An under-construction mall in Gurugram was among the places raided.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday recovered more than 200 deeds from the premises of the areas that were raided in connection with the land-for-jobs scam, news agency ANI reported.
The searches were conducted at 25 different locations in Delhi, Gurugram's Haryana, and Patna, Madhubani and Katihar in Bihar. An under-construction mall in Gurugram was among the places being raided earlier in the day.
The raids came on a day when the Mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance government in Bihar, led by chief minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD, proved its majority in the Assembly in a trust motion.
The fresh searches by the federal agency, which came close on the heels of searches related to the Delhi excise policy scam, triggered yet another war of words between the BJP – which rules at the Centre – and JD(U) and RJD.
The raids were carried out in connection with a case lodged on May 18 against Prasad, his family members, and 12 others for allegedly offering jobs in return for land in 2008-09 when he was the railway minister. Prasad's wife and former Bihar CM Rabri Devi, a co-accused in the case, said that everyone is watching and knows what was behind the searches.
Bihar deputy chief minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav dismissed rumours that the raided under-construction Gurugram mall belonged to him, adding a BJP leader had inaugurated the mall.
“I got the papers of the company and found that the company is based in Haryana . What is more interesting is that the mall's construction was started in the presence of a BJP leader,” Tejashwi told the Bihar assembly earlier in the day while addressing the matter.
JD(U) leader Upendra Kushwala said the timing of the raids is a “clear indication that the investigating agencies are trying to help the BJP”.
During the raids, residences of RJD lawmakers Ashfaq Karim, Faiyaz Ahmed, Sunil Singh, and Subodh Rai were among the premises raided.
BJP leader Pramod Kumar justified the raids by accusing RJD leaders of amassing wealth. “Nitish Kumar not only betrayed the mandate given to (the BJP-led) NDA (National Democratic Alliance) for ruling Bihar but also tied up with the corrupt,” he said.
(With agency inputs)
