Just days before her scheduled appearance before a Delhi court, former Bihar CM Rabri Devi was questioned by CBI at her residence in Patna on Monday morning in connection with the land-for-job scam.
Rabri is the wife of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad and the mother of deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav.
Confirming the development, a CBI official told The New Indian, “A team of CBI arrived at Rabri Devi’s residence in Patna for further probe. She is currently being questioned.”
On February 27, a court in Delhi issued a summons to Lalu, Rabri, their daughter Misa Bharti and others to appear before it on March 15 in connection with the case.
Lalu Prasad has recently returned to Patna after his kidney transplant surgery in Singapore. He is currently out on bail in the fodder scam case.
Earlier this year, the BJP-led Central government gave its nod to prosecute Lalu in the case which pertains to the transfer of land to the Yadav family for government jobs during Lalu’s tenure as the railway minister between 2004 and 2009.
CBI filed a chargesheet against Lalu, Rabri, and Misa in October last year. Thirteen others have also been named in the chargesheet.
According to CBI sources, the CBI recovered over 200 sale deeds during the investigation carried out and during the agency searches in August last year.
The source said that many candidates would have given their land to get jobs. CBI’s initial investigation showed the identification of 12 such candidates who got jobs in the railways.
The source further said that its probe so far revealed that Bhola Yadav, then OSD of Lalu Prasad Yadav was persuading the engagement of various substitute candidates in Group D with the concerned railway authorities. He was arrested by CBI last year.
Bhola Yadav was instrumental in the finalization and execution of land deals relevant to the case.
During the probe, it was also revealed that Bhola was collecting applications from various candidates for engagement as substitutes in Group D at Lalu’s camp office at 10 Circular Road in Patna.
Certain critical documents have been recovered which are crucial for the investigation of Bhola’s police custody, the source further said.
In lieu of railway jobs, candidates’ family members transferred their land in the name of family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav and a company named AK Infosystem.
Subsequently, AK Infosystem was taken over by family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav, the source said, adding that family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav acquired 1,05,292 square feet of land through two gift deeds and five sale deeds in Patna.
“In most of sale deeds seller was mentioned to have paid in cash,” the source added.
CBI had registered a fresh case against Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, and their daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav in May this year.