NEW DELHI: The CBI extension is set to expand the scope of its land-for-work scam investigation with investigators coming across what sources are calling “prima facie evidence” to suggest that some 4,000 people reportedly had jobs on Indian Railways during the head of the RJD Lalu In return, Prasad’s tenure as Union Railway Minister and their parcels of land were “bought”.
The agency, the sources said, recovered a filing device with a list of 1,500 candidates and an indication of the railway areas to which their applications had been forwarded.
The people who “sold” land plots to Lalu and his family in exchange for work belong to only five to six districts in Bihar centered around clan interests, officials said.
The CBI investigation also revealed that Lalu had allegedly set up a special cell called an MR cell in his Patna camp office which was used as a hub for collecting documents and applications from candidates. This cell processed and screened the applications before forwarding them to the relevant railway officials, who were part of the alleged conspiracy. The cell was also responsible for coordinating the efforts of these candidates in various areas of the railways.
The investigation also uncovered evidence that the Lalu clan made a profit by subsequently selling many of the candidates’ “purchased” land parcels. In one case, a parcel of land bought for a few lakhs was sold in 2017 for several crores to a company owned by former MLA RJD Syed Abu Dujana.
CBI sources also highlighted the particular case of a shell company owned by a certain Amit Katyal. The company allegedly bought parcels of land worth one crore. Later, it was acquired by Lalu Tejashwi Yadav’s son and wife Rabri Devi in 2014.
Several anomalies were found in the candidates’ applications and in the documents attached to them. Applications should have been rejected due to shortcomings, but they were processed and applicants found jobs with different areas.
In most cases, the candidates joined on later dates, thus defeating the very purpose of their appointments as replacements to fill needs. In some cases, the candidates could not pass the medical examination. Subsequently, they were considered and appointed to the posts where the requirement of medical fitness was not the same.
The agency, the sources said, recovered a filing device with a list of 1,500 candidates and an indication of the railway areas to which their applications had been forwarded.
The people who “sold” land plots to Lalu and his family in exchange for work belong to only five to six districts in Bihar centered around clan interests, officials said.
The CBI investigation also revealed that Lalu had allegedly set up a special cell called an MR cell in his Patna camp office which was used as a hub for collecting documents and applications from candidates. This cell processed and screened the applications before forwarding them to the relevant railway officials, who were part of the alleged conspiracy. The cell was also responsible for coordinating the efforts of these candidates in various areas of the railways.
The investigation also uncovered evidence that the Lalu clan made a profit by subsequently selling many of the candidates’ “purchased” land parcels. In one case, a parcel of land bought for a few lakhs was sold in 2017 for several crores to a company owned by former MLA RJD Syed Abu Dujana.
CBI sources also highlighted the particular case of a shell company owned by a certain Amit Katyal. The company allegedly bought parcels of land worth one crore. Later, it was acquired by Lalu Tejashwi Yadav’s son and wife Rabri Devi in 2014.
Several anomalies were found in the candidates’ applications and in the documents attached to them. Applications should have been rejected due to shortcomings, but they were processed and applicants found jobs with different areas.
In most cases, the candidates joined on later dates, thus defeating the very purpose of their appointments as replacements to fill needs. In some cases, the candidates could not pass the medical examination. Subsequently, they were considered and appointed to the posts where the requirement of medical fitness was not the same.
