ED issues summons to Lalu Prasad Yadav in money laundering probe
Lalu Yadav’s other family members including son Tej Pratap Yadav and wife Rabri Devi have also been asked to appear before the investigators on Tuesday, officials said
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav asking him to appear for questioning on Wednesday in connection with its money laundering probe in land-for-jobs scam – dating back to 2004-09 when he was Union railway minister, people aware of the development said on Tuesday.
Lalu Yadav’s other family members including son Tej Pratap Yadav and wife Rabri Devi have also been asked to appear before the investigators on Tuesday, officials said.
It is alleged in the case that appointment of substitutes in Group-D jobs was done in the railways during 2004-09, violating the recruitment norms and procedures of the Indian Railways.
The candidates, directly or through their immediate family members, allegedly sold land to the family members of Lalu at discounted rates of up to one-fourth or one-fifth of prevailing market rates.
ED probe is based on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) first information report (FIR) in the matter. CBI is conducting a parallel corruption probe against Lalu and his family members.
Also Read: ‘You are Brahma’: RJD MP Manoj Jha’s scathing jibe at Nitish Kumar over ‘I made Lalu’ remark
Both the agencies have filed multiple charge sheets in the case and have also obtained prosecution sanction against the RJD leader from relevant authorities.
In its charge sheet filed in August 2024 under prevention of money laundering act or PMLA, ED has alleged that a company AK Infosystems was incorporated by Lalu Yadav through his close aide Amit Katyal with a purpose to hold several land parcels in Patna.
Once the land parcels were acquired, Katyal transferred 100% of shareholding of the company to Rabri Devi (85%) and Tejashwi Yadav (15%) on June 13, 2014, thereby making them the absolute owners of the land parcels held by the company.
“AK Infosystems, with all its underlying assets of book value amount of ₹1.89 crore, was transferred to Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav, against a meagre amount of ₹1 lakh. It is worthwhile to mention that market value of assets of AK Infosystems as on June 13, 2014, was ₹63 crore as per valuation proceedings conducted by ED,” the agency added.
The financial crimes probe agency claims to have found Tejashwi Yadav’s link with another company, AB Exports Pvt Ltd (ABEPL), which is also controlled by Lalu Prasad’s family.
ED says Tejashwi Yadav owns 98.25% stake in the company while his sister Chanda Yadav owns 1.75% stake in it.
It has alleged in the charge sheet that ABEPL purchased a residential property, a bungalow, D-1088 at New Friends Colony, in 2007 for ₹5 crore using optionally fully convertible debentures from five shell companies.
In a press statement in March 2023, ED claimed that the present market value of this bungalow is ₹150 crore.
Apart from Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav and Katyal, ED has named Lalu Prasad’s daughters, Hema Yadav and Misha Bharti as well in the two charge sheets filed in the case so far.
The first charge sheet under PMLA was filed in January 2024.
