CBI questions Rabri Devi in land-for-job scam: all about the case
Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi was questioned on Monday by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at her Patna residence in connection with the alleged land-for-jobs scam. On October 7, 2022, the CBI filed charges against Rabri Devi, her husband and former chief minister, Lalu Prasad, their daughter Misa Bharti and 13 others in connection with the scam.
According to the CBI, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav allegedly used his position as Union Minister of Railways in the years 2004 to 2009 to transfer land ownership to the names of his relatives. This would have been done in exchange for the appointment of replacements to Group “D” posts in various railway zones.
According to a CBI press statement, some persons hired by the Railways allegedly gave land parcels as bribes to Lalu Yadav, his wife Rabri and his daughters Misa and Hema Yadav during his tenure as chief minister of Bihar.
This happened in 2008-2009 and 12 other individuals were also allegedly given jobs in railway zones in Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur and Hajipur as part of the scam.
According to CBI investigations, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family is said to have bought more than a lakh square foot of land for just €26 lakh from the land-for-jobs scam, despite the true value being over estimated €4.39 crore.
Earlier in August 2022, the CBI conducted searches at more than two dozen locations, including a shopping mall still under construction in Gurugram. It was alleged that the mall was being developed by a company owned by Tejashwi Yadav, the deputy chief minister of the dBihar.
The searches were carried out in connection with the land-for-jobs scam. The FIR read that out of the seven cases of land transfer, it appears that three deeds of sale have been made in favor of Rabri Devi.