CBI 'raids' Rabri's residence, RJD smells a rat

Abhay Kumar

PATNA, DHNS: The CBI on Tuesday 'raided' the residence of former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi here in the state capital.

The 'raid' was related to the ongoing investigation in the land-for-hotel scam which allegedly took place when Lalu Prasad was Railway Minister in UPA-I.

Rabri and her son Tejashwi Yadav were separately interrogated by the seven-member CBI team for four hours.

Later, the premier investigating agency denied that it was a raid, although sources confirmed that Rabri was questioned in the case as she was not interrogated earlier.

The RJD, however, smelt a rat and accused the Narendra Modi government of carrying out raids at a time when Lalu was recuperating in AIIMS, New Delhi, while Rabri was busy with her elder son Tej Pratap's wedding.

"This is really dirty politics. At a time when a reputed newspaper like The Indian Express has published a report on how the CBI's legal wing has said that there was no evidence against Lalu or his family in this case, still the CBI was hell-bent on harassing Lalu's family members. That too, when preparation is on for Tej Pratap's marriage next month," said RJD vice president and former Rajya Sabha MP Shivanand Tiwary.

"Are we living in a democracy or is it a dictatorship? People will obviously raise question as to how the CBI sleuths swooped down at Rabri residence when its (CBI) own legal wing, also called the Directorate of Prosecution, had opposed the lodging of an FIR against Lalu saying there was no evidence to show Lalu had influenced officials or that the land transfer (in Railway hotel case) was a quid pro quo," said RJD legislator Shakti Yadav.

Shakti, Lalu's key aide, wondered how the CBI officials swooped down in Patna at a time when the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in the state attending the Champaran Satyagraha centenary function.

"The voters in Bihar have been watching as to what level someone can stoop to, in trying to settle political scores," he said.