ED says Rs 1 cr in unaccounted cash seized, Rs 600 cr in proceeds of crime detected in raids against Lalu Prasad's family

A day after conducting searches at the premises of patriarch Lalu Prasad and his family members, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday claimed its investigators seized unaccounted Rs 1 crore in cash and detected Rs 600 crore in proceeds of crime from the RJD first family even as Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav skipped questioning by the CBI for the second time in the land-for-jobs scam case.

The ED had conducted searches at 24 locations in the money laundering case arising out of the land-for-jobs scam case registered by the CBI during which it also recovered foreign currency including US$ 1900, 540 gms gold bullion and more than 1.5 kg of gold jewellery.

In a tweet, the ED said, “searches resulted in detection of proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 600 Crore approximately at this point of time.”

As the investigations gathered pace in the UPA-era scam in which Lalu is accused of gifting Railway jobs to people in lieu of land when he was Railway Minister, the CBI summoned Tejashwi to appear before it for questioning for the second time on Saturday – the first being on March 4 – but he skipped this time too, citing personal reasons and sought a fresh date.

Also Read | 'Similar things happened in 2017': Nitish on CBI, ED action against Lalu, Tejashwi

The actions by the CBI and ED in the case attracted Opposition's ire with Lalu Prasad himself attacking the Modi government for the ED searches saying the BJP has stooped to such a low level to fight a political battle against by "making his daughters, little granddaughters and pregnant daughter-in-law sit for 15 hours on baseless vindictive cases".

"We have also seen the dark phase of Emergency. We fought that battle too...My ideological fight against Sangh and BJP has been and will continue. I have never bowed before them and no one from my family and party will bow down before your politics," Prasad tweeted on Thursday late night.

Opposition leaders came out in support of Tejashwi with Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra asking why is the BJP "so scared of vocal voices of the Opposition" while alleging that the Modi government is indulging in politics of "suppressing" the "unyielding voices" of the Opposition.

"The action of agencies on Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav ji is inspired by this politics. The public is watching everything, and will take all this into account," Priyanka said.

On Friday as ED conducted searches, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Modi government of making "sinister attempts to kill democracy" by misusing probe agencies against Opposition leaders.

Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar said he agreed with the contention of RJD that the recent crackdown was "politically motivated".

Senior RJD leader and MP Manoj K Jha said it is surprising that the CBI and the ED were investigating a shut case. "A chief of one of the agencies is looking for an extension while the head of another is looking at a plum post retirement job and that is why these things are happening," he said.

Officials, however, claimed that the fresh round of questioning is taking place as part of "further investigation" following the investigators receiving fresh leads gathered during the ongoing probe.

Registering an FIR in May last year, the CBI had alleged that Railway jobs were given to people in 2008-09 when Prasad was Railways Minister in lieu of land. Besides Prasad, his wife Rabri and daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav are named in the FIR along with 12 people who were given jobs in Railways in 2008-09.

The candidates were appointed as substitutes in group D positions within three days of applying in "undue haste" and were later regularised after they transferred land to the Prasad’s family. The transfers were made through three sale deeds in the name of Rabri Devi and one in the name of Misa and two gift deeds in the name of Hema, the CBI claimed.

The agency also alleged that land measuring about 1.05 lakh square feet in Patna was acquired by Prasad's family members by making payments to the sellers in cash. The CBI has also filed chargesheet in the case against Prasad and 15 others, including Rabi Devi, and all have been summoned on March 15.