The Enforcement Directorate has summoned former Bihar Chief Minister and RJD president Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, and son Tej Pratap Yadav for questioning in connection with the ongoing land-for-jobs money laundering investigation, according to official sources. Lalu Prasad, aged 76, is scheduled to appear before the federal probe agency in Patna on Wednesday, while his family members have been asked to turn up on Tuesday. Their statements will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
This move comes as part of a broader investigation into allegations that, during his tenure as the railway minister in the UPA-1 government between 2004 and 2009, Lalu Prasad engaged in corrupt practices linked to the appointment of group D substitutes in Indian Railways. The probe centers on claims that candidates for railway jobs were coerced into transferring land as a bribe in exchange for securing positions. These allegations, which form the basis of a money laundering case, originated from a complaint lodged with the Central Bureau of Investigation.
In addition to Lalu Prasad, the ED had previously questioned his younger son Tejashwi Yadav regarding the same case. Last year, the agency filed a chargesheet in a Delhi court that implicated several members of the family, naming Rabri Devi along with daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav as accused. According to the investigation, these family members are alleged to have received parcels of land at nominal prices from the families of candidates seeking railway jobs.
The ED further stated that one of the accused, Hridyanand Chaudhary, a former employee at Rabri Devi’s gaushala, acquired property from a candidate and subsequently transferred it to Hema Yadav. Moreover, the probe has revealed that shell companies such as A K Infosystems Private Limited and A B Exports Pvt. Ltd. were used to receive proceeds of crime. These companies reportedly acquired immovable properties through intermediaries before transferring shares to members of Lalu Prasad’s family at nominal amounts.
As the investigation continues, officials are examining the full extent of the alleged corruption and money laundering activities connected with the land-for-jobs scheme. The case remains under close scrutiny by law enforcement agencies, and further summoning of key figures in Lalu Prasad’s family underscores the seriousness with which the probe is being pursued.
