New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) interrogated former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi in her Patna home Monday in connection with the alleged land-for-jobs scam.
This was not a raid or a search, according to reports, but only an exercise in recording her statement, CBI officers said.
A CBI FIR, registered in 2022, accuses Rabri Devi’s husband and Rashtriya Janata Dal patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family of buying railway land very cheap in return for giving jobs during his tenure as Railways minister in 2004-09.
The FIR names Lalu, Rabri Devi, their two daughters Misa and Hema and 12 others who allegedly got jobs for land.
In July last year, the CBI arrested Lalu’s aide and former officer on special duty (OSD) Bhola Yadav in the case.
Last week, a Delhi court issued summons to all 16 named in the FIR and said, “After going through the chargesheet and the documents and material on record, prima facie shows the commission of offences under Section 120B read with Sections 420, 467, 468 and 471 IPC and Sections 8, 9, 11, 12, 13 (2) read with Section 13 (1) (d) of PC Act, 1988 and substantive offences thereof. Accordingly, cognizance is taken of the said offences.” The summons were for 15 March.
The CBI chargesheet said the accused — in conspiracy with the then GM Central Railways and CPO, Central Railways — engaged persons as “substitutes” in lieu of land either in their name or in the name of their close relatives.
This land was acquired at prices lower than the prevailing circle rate and much lower than the market rate, the statement said, adding, the candidates submitted false attested documents to the Ministry of Railways.
In most cases, the CBI said, candidates joined much later which defeated the purpose of appointment of “substitutes”. It noted that in some cases, the candidates could not clear their medical examination under the required category, and subsequently, were appointed in posts where inferior or lower medical category was required.
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