Tejashwi Yadav appears before ED in hotels-for-land money laundering case 

The ED has registered a criminal case against Tejashwi and his mother Rabri Devi. (file photo)

RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s son and former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday to record his statement in connection with its money laundering probe in the hotels-for-land corruption case. The case dates back to Lalu’s tenure as railways minister and relates to the award of contract to maintain two IRCTC hotels in 2006.

The agency had registered a criminal case against Lalu Prasad, his family members and others under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) about two months ago. Prasad’s wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, who has also been named in the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), has been summoned on Wednesday. The ED had earlier questioned Sarla Gupta, the wife of former UPA minister P C Gupta, regarding the case.

The ED had taken cognisance of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR to initiate its own criminal complaint. The CBI FIR, that was registered on July 5, alleged that Prasad, as railway minister in 2006, handed over the maintenance of two IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri to a company, Sujata Hotels, after allegedly receiving a bribe in the form of prime land in Patna through a ‘benami’ company owned by Sarla Gupta. The plot, handed over to Rabri Devi, was later transferred in Tejashwi’s name.

The CBI also conducted multiple searches in offices and residences of Lalu Prasad and others. The ED would investigate the alleged “proceeds of crime” generated by the accused, purportedly through shell companies, officials said. Others named in the CBI FIR include Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar (both directors of Sujata Hotels), Delight Marketing company, now known as Lara Projects, and the then IRCTC managing director P K Goel.