Land-for-job Scam: CBI Summons Tejashwi for Second Time

New Delhi, March 11 (IANS) A day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at over 15 locations in connection with the land-for-job scam in Bihar, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has now summoned the state Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav in connection with the matter, sources said.

The CBI is yet to official comment on the development.

Earlier, Tejashwi was summoned to join the probe on February 24 but he did not appear.

Now the CBI has sent him a second summon and asked the Bihar Deputy Chief Minister to appear before it by 2 p.m.

The probe agency had recently grilled former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and former Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad in the matter.

In its case, the CBI has alleged that during the investigation, it was found that the accused in conspiracy with the then GM and CPO of the Central Railways engaged persons as substitutes in lieu of land either in their name or in the name of close relatives of the Lalu family.

The CBI had registered a case against Lalu Yadav, the then union Railway Minister, his wife Rabri Devi, two daughters and 15 others, including unknown public servants and private persons.

"During the period 2004-2009 Yadav had obtained pecuniary advantages in the form of transfer of landed property in the name of his family members in lieu of appointment of substitutes in Group 'D' posts in different Zones of Railways," the official said.

A number of residents of Patna themselves or through their family members sold and gifted their land in favour of the family members of Yadav and a private company controlled by Yadav and his family.

"No advertisement or any public notice was issued for such appointment of substitutes in Zonal Railways, yet the appointees who were residents of Patna were appointed as Substitutes in different Zonal Railways located at Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur and Hazipur.

"In continuation of this modus operandi, about 1,05,292 Sq. feet land, immovable properties situated at Patna were acquired by Yadav and his family members through five sales deeds and two gift deeds, showing the payment made to seller in cash in most of the land transfer," the CBI had said.