In a significant development in the Land-for-Job money laundering case, the Rouse Avenue court has summoned Lalu Prasad Yadav, his sons Tejaswi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, along with several others. This marks the first time Tej Pratap Yadav has been called in connection with the case, as the court noted that his involvement could not be ruled out. Although he was not initially charged, he held a position as a director at AK Infosys Ltd.
Special CBI Judge Vishal Gogne issued summons to Lalu Prasad Yadav, his two sons, and six other accused individuals, requiring their appearance on October 7. The court also summoned other previously charge-sheeted individuals, including Akhileshwar Singh and his wife, Kiran Devi.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a supplementary charge sheet on August 6, naming 11 accused, though four of these individuals have since passed away. The court has stated that there is sufficient evidence to proceed against all accused parties, including Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejaswi Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav, Akhileshwar Singh, Hazari Prasad Rai, Sanjay Rai, Dharmendra Singh, and Kiran Devi. While Akhileshwar Singh was included in the ED’s charges, Kiran Devi was not initially charged but is implicated for allegedly selling land to Misa Bharti in exchange for a job for her son.
In related news, the Delhi High Court granted regular bail to businessman Amit Katyal on medical grounds. Katyal, who faces charges in the land-for-job case, had previously been granted interim bail for 84 days due to health issues. His attorney, senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, highlighted that Katyal was the only person arrested by the ED in this case, while the main accused, Lalu Prasad Yadav, was charge-sheeted without arrest.
The ED opposed Katyal’s bail application, arguing substantial evidence against him regarding his involvement in the money laundering scheme.
On August 17, the Rouse Avenue court reserved its order on summoning Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejaswi Yadav, among others, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The initial charge sheet filed by the ED on August 6 named several individuals, including Lallan Chaudhary, Hazari Rai, Dharmender Kumar, and others, with four of these individuals deceased.
The court previously instructed the ED to expedite the investigation and finalize pending charges. The investigation implicates two firms, A K Infosystems and A B Export, suggesting that these entities were used to acquire land illegally, with transactions involving Lalu Yadav’s family indicating misuse of funds and assets amounting to over Rs 200 crore.
The Delhi High Court had earlier declined to quash the ED’s proceedings against Amit Katyal, which followed significant raids that uncovered substantial unaccounted cash and valuable assets tied to the case.
