Land-For-Job Scam: ED Arrests Lalu Prasad Yadav's 'Aide' For Money Laundering

Land-For-Jobs Scam: The ED had conducted raids at Amit Katyal's home in March, along with those of Lalu and his family members.

Amit Katyal, who is allegedly linked to RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi Yadav, has been apprehended by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering investigation related to the alleged land-for-jobs scam case, news agency quoted officials as saying on Saturday.

Katyal was taken into custody by the agency on Friday and subsequently arrested after interrogation, the sources revealed. He is anticipated to appear before a local court, where the ED will request his custody for further questioning.

Katyal had been avoiding the agency's summons for questioning for approximately two months, reported PTI. Despite his plea to quash the ED summons being rejected by the Delhi High Court, the arrest proceeded.

The Enforcement Directorate had conducted raids at Katyal's premises in March, simultaneously covering the residences of Lalu Prasad, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, his sisters, and others.

The PTI report cited the ED as saying, Katyal is described as a "close associate" of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo and a former director of A K Infosystems Private Limited. A K Infosystems Private Limited is purportedly a "beneficiary company" in the case, with its registered address being a residential building in south Delhi's New Friends Colony, utilized by Tejashwi Yadav.

The alleged scam dates back to the period when Prasad served as the railway minister in the UPA-1 government. Between 2004 and 2009, several candidates were appointed to Group-D positions in various Indian Railways zones. In lieu of the postings, these candidates allegedly transferred their land to the family and friends of Lalu Prasad, who was the Railway Minister back then, and A K Infosystems Private Limited.

The ED's case, filed under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), originated from a complaint lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CBI asserts that no public notice or advertisement was issued for these appointments, and residents of Patna were allegedly appointed as substitutes in different zonal railways in Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur, and Hazipur.

As part of the alleged quid pro quo, the candidates or their immediate family members reportedly sold land to Prasad's family members at significantly discounted rates, up to one-fourth to one-fifth of the prevailing market rates, as per the CBI's allegations.