The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a supplementary charge sheet on Tuesday against former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, former deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav, and other accused in the land-for-jobs scam case in the Rouse Avenue Court. Special Judge Vishal Gogne recorded the charge sheet, which named 11 more accused and included 96 key documents.
The accused include Lallan Chaudhary, Hazari Rai, Dharmender Kumar, Akhileshwar Singh, Ravinder Kumar, Late Lal Babu Rai, Sonmatia Devi, Late Kishun Dev Rai, and Sanjay Rai. The court has scheduled the next hearing for August 13 to review the charge sheet and documents.
On July 6, the Rouse Avenue court instructed the ED to file an additional or concluding charge sheet by the next hearing date. The Joint Director of Enforcement appeared in court to provide updates on the investigation.
Former Bihar CM Rabri Devi, along with Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, and other accused, had already been charged by the ED. ED’s Special Public Prosecutor Manish Jain, along with Ishan Baisla and Snehal Sharda, submitted the supplementary charge sheet and documents.
Previously, the court had urged the ED to finalize the investigation within two weeks. Rabri Devi, her daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, along with Amit Katyal and Hridyanand Chaudhary, are charged in the case, with all accused except Amit Katyal appearing via video conferencing.
On February 28, the court granted regular bail to Rabri Devi, Misa Bharti, Hema Yadav, and Hridyanand Chaudhary. The court had earlier issued summons to these individuals in January, with Amit Katyal being arrested during the investigation.
Two firms, A K Infosystem and A B Export, are also accused in the case. The ED submitted that A K Infosystem, formed by Amit Katyal in 2006-07 for IT data analysis, did not conduct real business but acquired several land parcels, one of which is central to the scam. This company was transferred to Rabri Devi and Tejaswi Yadav in 2014 for a nominal sum.
The ED filed a prosecution complaint in January 2024, stating that A-B Export, initially set up for export business, received Rs. five crore through five companies in 2007, which was used to purchase a property in New Friends Colony. This case involves seven land parcels, with Rabri, Hema Yadav, and Misa Bharti receiving and later selling these parcels.
The ED’s investigation revealed that the Yadav family benefited from the proceeds of crime. Amit Katyal, a close aide of Lalu Prasad Yadav, was implicated in transactions with the Yadav family. The Delhi High Court refused to quash ED proceedings against Katyal.
In March, the ED conducted searches at 24 locations in Delhi NCR, Patna, Mumbai, and Ranchi, uncovering unaccounted cash of Rs. 1 crore, foreign currency, gold bullion, and jewelry worth approximately Rs. 1.25 crore, along with incriminating documents. The investigation uncovered proceeds of crime amounting to Rs. 600 crore, including immovable properties worth Rs. 350 crore and transactions of Rs. 250 crore routed through various benami entities.
The ED found that multiple land parcels were illegally acquired by the Yadav family in exchange for railway jobs, with a current market value exceeding Rs. 200 crore. These properties were held in the names of family members and benami entities.
One notable property in New Friends Colony, Delhi, registered under M/s A B Exports Private Limited and controlled by Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, was purchased for a mere Rs. 4 lakhs but has a current market value of approximately Rs. 150 crore. The property is suspected to have been acquired using proceeds of crime and is used as a residence by Tejashwi Prasad Yadav.
The investigation further revealed that land acquired from Group-D applicants was sold at a significant profit to ex-RJD MLA Syed Abu Dojana, with the proceeds transferred to Tejashwi Prasad Yadav’s account. The ED’s findings indicate widespread corruption and illegal land acquisitions in exchange for railway jobs during Lalu Prasad Yadav’s tenure.
