CBI quizzes Lalu Prasad in land-for-jobs probe for three hours

NEW DELHI: The CBI on Tuesday questioned RJD chief and former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav for around three hours in connection with the 'land-for-jobs' case investigation. The development comes a day after CBI had landed at former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi's residence in Patna.
Yadav was questioned at the Pandara Park residence of his daughter and Rajya Sabha member Misa Bharti. The agency had served notice to Yadav a few days ago. The CBI officials who questioned Yadav were asked to maintain distance and use masks to avoid any infection to Yadav who recently underwent a kidney surgery in Singapore.

The agency has alleged that people were given jobs in the railways when Lalu Prasad was the railway minister of Bihar from 2004 to 2009. The jobs were allegedly exchanged for land parcels gifted or sold at cheap rates to the Yadav family and their associates.
Earlier, the CBI had obtained a prosecution sanction from the Centre to proceed against the RJD chief. Last October, the agency had filed a chargesheet against Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, their daughter Misa Bharti and 13 others. Those chargesheeted include two former senior railway officials and seven candidates who allegedly 'sold' their land to Yadav and his family in lieu of Group D jobs they got with the railways.

During investigation, CBI had claimed to have found that the accused in conspiracy with the then GM Central Railways and CPO, Central Railways, engaged persons as substitutes in lieu of land either in their name or in the name of their close relatives. This land was acquired at prices lower than the prevailing circle rate and much lower than the market rate.

Watch Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter Rohini Acharya: 'If anything happens to my father, won't spare anyone'