The Enforcement Directorate reported on Saturday that raids against the family of former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav in connection with the investigation into the railways’ land-for-job money laundering case resulted in the seizure of Rs 1 crore in unaccounted cash and the discovery of Rs 600 crore in criminal proceeds.
The ED stated that a probe was being conducted to find out more about the real estate and other investments made on behalf of Lalu Prasad’s family. On Friday, the ED searched at least 24 locations throughout the country that were reportedly connected to Lalu Prasad, his son and deputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav, and three daughters.
The “scam” concerns Lalu’s alleged abuse of authority to give out jobs in exchange for property plots that were transferred at nominal prices to the relatives of the RJD chairman during the time between 2004 and 2009 when he served as railway minister in the Congress-led UPA administration.
Around 1.5 kilogrammes of gold jewellery, 540 grammes of gold bullion, $1,900 in foreign currency, incriminating documents, and technological devices were all seized during the searches, according to the ED.
Following the former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi’s deposition by the CBI in its case related to the land-for-job scam, the ED conducted searches. Several individuals, particularly those from Lalu’s home state of Bihar, are said to have been recruited to Group D positions in various zones of the Indian Railways between 2004 and 2009, when Lalu served as railways minister.
