Blow to Lalu as ED files charge-sheet against wife, daughters in railway’s land-for-job case | Patna News
PATNA: In a major blow to RJD chief Lalu Prasad ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday filed chargesheet against his wife, former chief minister Rabri Devi and their two daughters, Misa Bharti, a Rajya Sabha Member, and Hema Yadav, surcharging the political situation in the state.
The RJD reacted by accusing the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre of harassing the Lalu family for “headline management” ahead of polls.
The complaint, with over 4,700 pages including annexures, was filed before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Delhi that has listed the matter for January 16, the sources said.
The ED 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 RJD MLA.
It has been alleged that in between 2004 to 2009, several people were appointed to Group “D” positions in various zones of the Indian Railways for which they transferred their land to the family members of the then railway minister Lalu Prasad and a linked company named A K Infosystems Private Limited as “bribes”.
Questioning the ED move, RJD parliamentarian Manoj Jha said the case which was registered in 2008 was finally closed by the CBI but was reopened in 2021. He alleged the case suddenly picked up speed then very next year in the aftermath of “reverse operation lotus” which saw the BJP out of power in Bihar when CM Nitish Kumar switched sides in August 2022 and formed his new government with the help of RJD and its allies.
“It is strange that ED has dragged names of wife and daughters (of Lalu Prasad) in its charge-sheet while they had nothing to do with the functioning of the railway ministry. This has been done only with the purpose to harass the family,” Jha told the media on Tuesday. He apprehended that the ED could file supplementary chargesheet wherein more names could be added as a part of “political vendetta.”
He also expressed surprise over the actions of two different central agencies in the same case. “The man Amit Katyal whom the CBI described as a ‘protected witness’ in the case, was however picked up by the ED. What’s happening? What kind of rule of law prevails here?” he asked.
Alleging the BJP has resorted to these tactics since it is unable to take on the opposition “politically”, Jha who is a first-time Rajya Sabha Member warned the BJP leadership and officials against misusing power saying they could be in for similar trouble if the government changed after the elections.
“Jis din aapki satta jayegi, aapko bhi chakkar katna hoga. Tab hame aapke liye bura lagega lekin iski shuruyat to aapne ki hai (The day your power goes, you will also have to make rounds. Then we will feel bad for you, but you started it),” Jha said, adding the central agencies had gone against the Lalu family since the latter is not ready to make any compromise with the BJP.
The RJD reacted by accusing the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre of harassing the Lalu family for “headline management” ahead of polls.
The complaint, with over 4,700 pages including annexures, was filed before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Delhi that has listed the matter for January 16, the sources said.
The ED 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 RJD MLA.
It has been alleged that in between 2004 to 2009, several people were appointed to Group “D” positions in various zones of the Indian Railways for which they transferred their land to the family members of the then railway minister Lalu Prasad and a linked company named A K Infosystems Private Limited as “bribes”.
Questioning the ED move, RJD parliamentarian Manoj Jha said the case which was registered in 2008 was finally closed by the CBI but was reopened in 2021. He alleged the case suddenly picked up speed then very next year in the aftermath of “reverse operation lotus” which saw the BJP out of power in Bihar when CM Nitish Kumar switched sides in August 2022 and formed his new government with the help of RJD and its allies.
“It is strange that ED has dragged names of wife and daughters (of Lalu Prasad) in its charge-sheet while they had nothing to do with the functioning of the railway ministry. This has been done only with the purpose to harass the family,” Jha told the media on Tuesday. He apprehended that the ED could file supplementary chargesheet wherein more names could be added as a part of “political vendetta.”
He also expressed surprise over the actions of two different central agencies in the same case. “The man Amit Katyal whom the CBI described as a ‘protected witness’ in the case, was however picked up by the ED. What’s happening? What kind of rule of law prevails here?” he asked.
Alleging the BJP has resorted to these tactics since it is unable to take on the opposition “politically”, Jha who is a first-time Rajya Sabha Member warned the BJP leadership and officials against misusing power saying they could be in for similar trouble if the government changed after the elections.
“Jis din aapki satta jayegi, aapko bhi chakkar katna hoga. Tab hame aapke liye bura lagega lekin iski shuruyat to aapne ki hai (The day your power goes, you will also have to make rounds. Then we will feel bad for you, but you started it),” Jha said, adding the central agencies had gone against the Lalu family since the latter is not ready to make any compromise with the BJP.