Land For Jobs Scam: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) while his sister and RJD MP Misa Bharti was grilled by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), both in connection with the alleged land for jobs scam case.
Yadav appeared before the agency after skipping three previous dates, officials said, as quoted by PTI.
The RJD leader was escorted to the investigation team after completing the necessary formalities post his arrival at the CBI headquarters at around 10:30 am. He later took a break in the afternoon for lunch and went straight to meet his pregnant wife who is admitted to a hospital in South Delhi, reported ANI.
Earlier, the CBI had given an assurance to the Delhi High Court last week that it would not arrest Tejashwi Yadav this month. PTI report said that according to the RJD leader's counsel, Maninder Singh, Yadav had informed the federal agency that he would require some time to appear before its officers as the ongoing Bihar Assembly session is scheduled to conclude on April 5.
Singh had also told the court that Yadav would appear before the investigating officer at the CBI headquarters in Delhi at 10:30 am on March 25, the PTI report added.
Responding to this, CBI's counsel DP Singh had told the court that the Assembly proceedings do not take place on Saturdays and Yadav could appear before the agency on any Saturday in March according to his convenience. As per PTI, the RJD MLA had sought quashing of the summonses dated February 28, March 4 and March 11 issued against him.
On the other hand, Tejashwi Yadav's sister and RJD Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti on Saturday appeared before ED in the same case. ED had earlier seized "unaccounted cash" of Rs 1 crore and detected proceeds of crime worth Rs 600 crore during searches. She left the ED office after the agency concluded the questioning.
The agency had said, as per PTI, that the probe was underway to unearth more investments made on behalf of former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad's family and their associates in various sectors, including real estate, at various places.
Both the central agencies had recently initiated action in the lad for job case. The CBI earlier questioned Lalu Prasad and his wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi while the ED carried out raids against the RJD chief's family.
On March 15, a special CBI court granted bail to Tejashwi Yadav's father Lalu Prasad, mother Rabri Devi - both former Bihar chief ministers - sister Misa Bharti and others in the land-for-jobs case.
Earlier, reacting to the probe, the Bihar deputy CM said, "We have been cooperating with investigative agencies from the beginning. But the kind of political environment prevailing in the country... It is easy to bow down. But it is very tough to fight," Yadav said before leaving his residence in New Delhi for the CBI office, as quoted by the news agency ANI. "We have chosen to fight. We will fight and we will prevail," he added.
The CBI in its first chargesheet filed in connection with the alleged land-for-jobs scam stated that irregular appointments of candidates were made in Central Railway, violating the laid down norms and procedures of Indian Railways for recruitment. As a quid-pro-quo, the candidates directly or through their immediate relatives/family members, sold land to the family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav (then Union Railway Minister) at highly discounted rates up to 1/4th to 1/5th of the prevailing market rates, stated CBI.
The Bihar Deputy CM further said, "We have always cooperated with the agencies but the situation in the country is that it has become very difficult to fight but we have decided to fight against this and we will win."