NEW DELHI, Jan. 9, 2024 (TBINN)
Enforcement Directorate today filed its first charge-sheet in the Railways’ land-for-jobs linked Money Laundering Case, naming former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and her M.P. daughter Misa Bharti among others, official sources said.
Rashtriya Janta Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s another daughter Hema Yadav, aged 40, an alleged “close associate” of Yadav Family, Amit Katyal, aged 49 years, a former Railway employee Hridayanand Chaudhary, two firms A.K. Infosystems Pvt. Ltd. and A.B. Exports Pvt. Ltd., through their common director Shariqul Bari, have also been named in the charge-sheet.
The complaint arraying a total of seven accused has been filed before a Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (P.M.L.A.) Court in Delhi and the court has listed the matter to be heard on January 16, 2024, the sources said.
Katyal was arrested in this case by Enforcement Directorate in November last year while Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son and Bihar’s Deputy C.M. Tejashwi Yadav were summoned by the agency but they have not deposed till now.
Rabri Devi, aged 68 years, R.J.D. Rajya Sabha M.P. Misa Bharti of 47 years and two other daughters of Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi– Chanda Yadav and Ragini Yadav– have been questioned in this case by the E.D.
The alleged scam pertains to the period when Lalu Prasad was Railway minister in the U.P.A.-1 Government.
It is alleged that from 2004 to 2009, several people were appointed to Group “D” positions in various zones of the Indian Railways and in lieu, these people transferred their land to the family members of the then Railway minister Lalu Prasad and a linked company named A.K. Infosystems Private Limited.
A.K. Infosystems Private Limited is allegedly a “beneficiary company” in the case and its registered address in south Delhi’s New Friends Colony was being used by Tejashwi Yadav, E.D. had said earlier.
Katyal has been a director of this company, as per the agency.
A.B Exports Pvt. Ltd is a “shell” or fake company owned by Tejashwi Yadav and Chanda Yadav and its registered address is also the New Friends Colony located bungalow.
The E.D. alleged Rabri Devi and Hema Yadav sold four land parcels “illegally” acquired from appointees in the Railways to Meridian Construction India Ltd., a company related to Syed Abu Dojana, a former R.J.D.’s M.L.A. and the “proceeds of crime” so obtained by Rabri Devi and Hema Yadav were further transferred through a maze of transactions to A.B. Exports Pvt. Ltd and Bhagirathi Tubes respectively.
Rabri Devi and Hema Yadav sold these land parcels for Rs 3.5 crore against the acquisition cost of Rs 7.5 lakh, thus deriving huge gains, the E.D. earlier claimed.
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