Lalu Prasad, family received land parcels for Railway jobs, ED to court

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has told a New Delhi court that RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and his family members obtained illegal gratification in the form of land parcels in exchange for appointments in the Indian Railways. The ED made the submissions in its supplementary chargesheet filed in the case before Special Judge Vishal Gogne, who also summoned Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, who has not been named as an accused by the probe agency, in an order passed on September 18. "The court finds compelling basis to conclude prima facie and upon the standard of scrutiny required at the stage of summoning that Tej Pratap Yadav also engaged in the acquisition and concealment of the proceeds of crime and is thus liable to be summoned upon the present supplementary complaint (the ED's equivalent to a chargesheet)," the judge said.He also summoned Prasad's younger son and former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has told a court here that RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and his family members obtained illegal gratification in the form of land parcels in exchange for appointments in the Indian Railways.The judge directed Prasad, a former Union minister and former Bihar chief minister, his two sons and others to appear before the court on October 7. The judge had earlier summoned former Bihar chief minister and Prasad's wife, Rabri Devi, and their two daughters -- Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav-in the case.
The land parcels, which were acquired in a way to consolidate holdings already in the Yadav family's possession, have been classified as "proceeds of crime" (PoC) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).The ED has accused Prasad of hatching a criminal conspiracy along with his family members and associates to conceal the acquisition of the PoC. He ensured that the land parcels were transferred in a manner that obscured his direct involvement while allowing his family to benefit, the ED has alleged.The agency has alleged that the landowners, primarily in Patna's Mahua Bagh, were persuaded to sell their land at undervalued prices with the promise of jobs in the railways when Prasad was the railway minister.