Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the allegations among others that a costly bunglaw in the upscale South Delhi locality owned by his company as part of the proceeds from land-for-jobs scam.
The ED had accused the former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad of acquiring land parcels in lieu of Group D government jobs during his stint as the Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009.
He appeared before the ED headquarters here today to give his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Tejaswi Yadav’s sister Misa Yadav, who is a Member of Parliament was questioned by the ED on March 25 as a beneficiary in this case. Former Union Minister Lalu Prasad had allegedly offered Group D subsititute positions in Indian Railways to candidates transferring their land to the family members of RJD president and A K Infosystems Pvt Ltd, the ED had alleged.
Pointing fingers directly at the RJD leader and Bihar Deputy CM, the ED had stated last month that “a property situated at D-1088, New Friends Colony, Delhi (independent 4 storied bungalow, registered in the name of A.B. Exports Private Ltd, a company owned and controlled by Tejashwi Yadav and family) was acquired for ₹4 lakhs against the market value of ₹150 crore”. Yadav, along with his parents have also been questioned by the CBI in this case. Bihar Deputy CM Yadav denied the allegations and stated that his father, the then railway minister, had “no powers” to give employment in exchange for favours.
In this case, the agency revealed last month about seizing of ₹1 crore unaccounted cash, 540 gms of gold, 1.5 kg gold jewellery and ₹600 crore-worth indentified proceeds of crime . The ED alleged that its probe conducted so far has exposed the Lalu’s family illegal possession of several land parcels at prominent locations in Patna and elsewhere against jobs offered in the Railway ministry. According to ED, the current market value of land parcels under scanner was estimated at over ₹ 200 crore and identified several benamidars, shell entities and beneficial owners.