ED searches Lalu's family, RJD says agencies following someone else's script

Days after the CBI questioned RJD top leaders Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi in the land for jobs scam case, the Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted searches in a dozen locations in Patna, Delhi and Mumbai in connection with the money laundering case arising out of the CBI FIR.

Officials said searches were conducted at premises linked to Prasad's daughters Ragini Yadav, Chanda Yadav and Hema Yadav as well as former RJD MLA Abu Dojana in Patna, Phulwari Sharif, Delhi-NCR, Ranchi and Mumbai.

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RJD hit back at the Modi government with its senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj K Jha alleging that the CBI and the ED were following "someone else's script" in taking action against opposition leaders. He claimed that the searches against RJD leaders were a "reaction" to the change in government in Bihar in August last year.

"The image of agencies like CBI and ED has been tarnished. It is not their raid. They are going for raids with someone else's script. They conducted searches at the residence of Lalu ji's daughters, our Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav. What did they find? A case which had been shut has been reopened. This is a reaction to what happened in August 2022," he said adding, "we are not going to budge. Despite all this, Lalu-ji is standing firm."

"You should stop this, you haven't spared any opposition party or leader. Tomorrow you may be in the opposition and the same thing can happen to you. Would that be appropriate?" the senior MP said.

The ED case is based on a CBI FIR registered 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.