CBI to question 10 railway employees in land-for-job scam next week

The CBI had registered the case on May 18, 2022 against former Railway Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad and 15 others, including his wife Rabri Devi, two daughters, and unidentified public servants and private persons.

New Delhi: Moving ahead in its probe into the alleged land-for-job scam, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned at least 10 railway employees for questioning in connection with the case next week, sources said on Friday.

According to CBI sources, the agency has summoned at least 10 railway employees at its headquarters in the national capital for questioning from November 21-25. The employees who have been summoned are currently posted in Barauni and Sonpur division of the railways in Bihar. The sources said the development came after the agency got some fresh leads in the case.

---

The CBI had registered the case on May 18, 2022 against former Railway Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad and 15 others, including his wife Rabri Devi, two daughters, and unidentified public servants and private persons. On July 3, the CBI had filed a charge sheet against Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi and his son and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav.

“From 2004 to 2009, Lalu Prasad (then Railway Minister) had obtained pecuniary advantages in the form of transfer of landed property in the name of his family members in lieu of appointment of substitutes in Group D posts in different zones of the Railways,” a CBI official had earlier said.

A number of residents of Patna themselves or through their family members reportedly sold and gifted their land in favour of the family members of Lalu Prasad and a private company controlled by him and his family.

“No advertisement or any public notice was issued for such appointment of substitutes, yet the appointees, who were all residents of Patna, were appointed as substitutes in different zones located in Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur and Hajipur.

“In continuation of this modus operandi, about 1,05,292 sq ft land and immovable properties located in Patna were acquired by Lalu Prasad and his family members through five sales deeds and two gift deeds, showing the payment made to the seller in cash in most of the land transfer,” the CBI had said.