Bulletin India, Desk.
Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for nearly four hours on Wednesday in connection with the land-for-job scam case. The 70-year-old leader arrived at the ED’s Bank Road office in Patna at around 10:30 AM, accompanied by his eldest daughter, Misa Bharti, who is also an RJD MP from Pataliputra.
During the interrogation, ED officials questioned Lalu Yadav about the sale of 3,000 square feet of land by Kishun Dev Rai to his wife, Rabri Devi, for merely ₹3.75 lakh. They further inquired about his connections with Raj Kumar Singh, Mithilesh Kumar, and Ajay Kumar, asking when he had met them.
The agency also pressed Lalu Yadav on why these individuals were appointed to Group D positions in Mumbai’s Central Railway soon after meeting him and transferring land to Rabri Devi. Similarly, the ED raised concerns over the alleged railway jobs secured by Sanjay Rai and his family members after registering a land transfer in Rabri Devi’s name.
Another key question posed by the ED was about Kiran Devi’s son, Abhishek Kumar, who secured a job in Central Railway Mumbai following the registration of land in Rabri Devi’s name. Officials also sought explanations for why Kiran Devi sold 80,905 square feet of land to Lalu’s daughter, Misa Bharti, for just ₹3.7 lakh.
Political Reactions
Reacting to the ED’s interrogation, Lalu Prasad’s younger son and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav alleged political vendetta behind the case. Addressing the media, he said, “The more they harass us, the stronger we become. This case is politically motivated. Had I not been in politics, I wouldn’t have been dragged into this. I had predicted after the Delhi Assembly elections that investigative agencies would soon shift their focus to Bihar.”
Countering Tejashwi Yadav’s claims, JD(U) MLC and spokesperson Neeraj Kumar remarked that Lalu Prasad is merely facing the consequences of his past actions. He stated, “Lalu Prasad is reaping what he sowed. He was involved in the fodder scam as Bihar’s Chief Minister, was found guilty by the court, and is now disqualified from contesting elections. Allegations of political revenge are baseless. The CBI filed the chargesheet in the fodder scam during the tenure of then-Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral, who shared good relations with the RJD chief. The land-for-job scam dates back to Lalu Prasad’s tenure as Railway Minister in the first UPA government led by Congress.”
The ED’s investigation into the land-for-job scam continues, with Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members under scrutiny.