CBI raids senior RJD leaders in 'land-for-jobs' scam

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has commenced raids on senior leaders of the RJD who were allegedly linked to a previous "land-for-jobs" scandal. 

According to sources the law enforcement officials were at the residences of RJD MLC Sunil Singh and MP Ashfaque Karim.

The CBI had named Lalu, Rabri Devi, their two daughters, Misha Bharti and Hema Yadav, and 12 other individuals for their roles in an alleged recruitment scam during the former's stint as the Union railway minister. 

The case relates to appointments of substitutes in Group D posts in lieu of seven parcels of land to the family.

A preliminary enquiry was registered by the economic offences unit of CBI in September 2021. 

According to the FIR, the enquiry by the Central agency revealed that during the period 2004-09, some individuals who were residents of Patna were appointed as substitutes in Group D in different zones of Railways, allocated in Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur, Hajipur. 

The individuals themselves or their family members transferred their land in the name of family members of Lalu Yadav and a certain company, as payment. 

The FIR lists at least seven instances of land transfer—five were sale deeds executed in favour of Rabri Devi, Misha Bharti and a company named Infosystems Pvt. Ltd. in which Rabri became a major shareholder in 2014, and is currently one of the directors. 

The CBI FIR further stated that two were gift deeds in favour of Hema Yadav and Lalu Yadav.