New Delhi, July 27: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested RJD leader Bhola Yadav, a close aide of party supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, in connection with the alleged land-for-job case.
The central agency is conducting raids about four locations in Bihar, according to the news agency ANI.
Governorship, RS seats for Rs 100 crore: CBI busts multi-state racket, arrests four
The agency is carrying out searches at two locations in Patna and two in Darbhanga in Bihar in connection with the case, they said. Bhola Yadav served as OSD to Lalu Yadav during 2005-09, they said.
In May, the central agency registered a fresh FIR against former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad and family members for allegedly taking over one lakh sq ft land in Patna from candidates in return for group D jobs in Railways during 2004-09 when he was the railway minister in the UPA government.
Following the registration of FIR on May 18 by the Economic Offences wing of the CBI, the agency started a search operation at 16 locations in Delhi, Patna and Gopalganj at the premises of Prasad, his family members and other accused.
The CBI has named Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, and daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, in addition to 12 people who were given jobs in Railway zones of Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur, Hajipur, the officials had earlier told PTI.
The central agency had registered a preliminary enquiry on September 23, 2021 related to the land-for-jobs scam in Railways.
The candidates were appointed as substitutes in group D positions within three days of applying in "undue haste" by Railway officials and were later regularised "in lieu thereof the individuals themselves or their family members transferred their land".
The transfers were made through three sale deeds in the name of Rabri Devi and one in the name of Misa Bharti and two gift deeds in the name Hema Yadav.
One sale deed was executed in the name of a company A K Infosystems Private Limited in which Rabri Devi became a majority shareholder in 2014 and currently one of the directors of the company, the FIR alleged.
Lalu Prasad's family allegedly paid Rs 3.75 lakh to Rs 13 lakh for the lands acquired by them which according to circle rates were approximately valued at Rs 4.39 crore, the CBI alleged.
In the case of gift deeds to Hema Yadav, a person named Brij Nandan Rai allegedly transferred 3,375 sq ft land in Patna to a man called Hridayanand Choudhary for Rs 4.21 lakh in 2008. Choudhary was later appointed as substitute in Hazipur and he subsequently transferred the land in 2014 to Hema Yadav.
"The value of said land as per prevailing circle rate at the time of gift was Rs 62.10 lakh," the FIR alleged.