Court Summons Lalu, Tejaswi, Tej Pratap Yadav In Land-For-Job Money Laundering Case

In the land-for-job money laundering case, the Rouse Avenue court has issued summons to several key figures, including Lalu Prasad Yadav and his sons Tejaswi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav. This is the first time Tej Pratap Yadav has been called in connection with this case. The court said that Tej Pratap Yadav's involvement could not be ruled out. Although he was not initially charge-sheeted, he was a director at AK Infosys and has now been summoned.

Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Judge Vishal Gogne issued a summon to Lalu Prasad Yadav, his two sons, and six other accused. They have been directed to appear on 7 October. The court has included Akhileshwar Singh and his wife, Kiran Devi, in its summons. The court also clarified that while Akhileshwar Singh was made an accused by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), his wife Kiran Devi was not initially charged. However, she is involved in the case for selling land to Misa Bharti in exchange for a job for her son, Abhisek.

The ED filed a supplementary charge sheet on 6 August, listing 11 accused. Four of these individuals have since died. The court said that there is sufficient material to proceed further against the accused persons.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court granted regular bail to businessman Amit Katyal on medical grounds on Tuesday. Katyal, who is charged in the land-for-job money laundering case, was previously granted interim bail on medical grounds. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna granted bail to Katyal, but a detailed order is yet to be uploaded.

The ED opposed the bail application, arguing that there is substantial evidence against Katyal showing his involvement in the money laundering offence.

On 17 August, the Rouse Avenue court reserved its order on summoning former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav, among others, in the land for job money laundering case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

On 6 August, the ED filed its first supplementary charge sheet against Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejaswi Yadav, and other accused in the case. This charge sheet names individuals such as Lallan Chaudhary, Hazari Rai, Dharmender Kumar, Akhileshwar Singh, Ravinder Kumar, Lal Babu Rai, Sonmatia Devi, Kishun Dev Rai, and Sanjay Rai.

On 6 July, the court directed the ED to file an additional or concluding charge sheet by the next hearing date. The Joint Director of the ED updated the court on the investigation status. The ED's Special Public Prosecutor, Manish Jain, along with Snehal Sharda, appeared for the ED, clarifying that the supplementary charge sheet is based on the evidence collected so far.

The court had previously ordered the ED to expedite the investigation and finalise the pending charges. In April, it instructed the ED to conclude the investigation within two weeks.

In this case, two firms, A K Infosystems and A B Export, are also implicated. The ED claims that A K Infosystems, founded by Katyal in 2006-07, was used to buy land parcels instead of conducting legitimate business. This land was later transferred to Rabri Devi and Tejaswi Yadav for just one lakh rupees.

The ED has also revealed that A B Export, supposedly an export business, was involved in significant financial transactions and property purchases. The ED's investigations indicate that land acquired at low prices was sold at high profits, with proceeds transferred to Tejaswi Yadav. The ED has found that Lalu Yadav's family acquired land illegally in exchange for jobs in the railways, with a current market value exceeding Rs 200 crore.

The investigation uncovered significant unaccounted cash, gold, and other assets. The Delhi High Court had earlier refused to quash the ED's proceedings against Amit Katyal. The ED's March raids led to the recovery of substantial unaccounted cash and valuable assets. The investigation has highlighted that several land parcels were acquired illegally by Lalu Yadav's family, further indicating the misuse of funds and assets. (ANI)