The former chief minister of Bihar, Rabri Devi, and her daughters, Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, were granted temporary bail by the Rouse Avenue Court here on Friday, pending their next hearing in the Land-for-Jobs scam case. The case has been scheduled for February 28 consideration regarding bail. The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) said in a release that a PMLA court had previously sent notices against Amit Katyal, Rabri Devi, Misha Bharti, Hema Yadav, and Hridyanand Chaudhary, requiring them to appear on February 9, 2024, for additional trial in the alleged “land for job scam.”
While, Rabri, Misa, Hema appeared before the court, Amit Katyal appeared through video conferencing.
The ED had filed a prosecution complaint (PC) on January 1, 2024, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, against Amit Katyal, Rabri Devi, Misha Bharti, Hema Yadav, Hridyanand Chaudhary and two companies–A K Infosystems Private Limited, A B Exports Pvt. Ltd.–before the Special Court (PMLA), New Delhi, in the alleged scam.
The premier agency began its investigation based on a formal complaint (FIR) filed by the CBI regarding a land-for-job scam. The complaint claimed that Lalu Yadav, the Railway Minister at the time, had engaged in corruption in order to obtain Group D substitutes for Indian Railways between 2004 and 2009. According to the FIR, the candidates were instructed to transfer land as payment for employment with Indian Railways. A charge sheet has also been filed by the CBI. The ED claimed that the family of candidates who were chosen as Group D substitutes in the Indian Railways gave Lalu’s kin—Rabri Devi, Misha Bharti, and Hema Yadav—the land parcel(s) for nominal amounts. These individuals are accused in the prosecution complaint.
While taking cognizance of the charge sheet, the court said that there is sufficient ground to take cognizance.
ED had submitted that in 2006-07, AK Infosystem was formed by Amit Katyal and its business was IT data analysis. No real business was done. Instead, several land parcels were bought by the company. One land parcel pertains to the main predicate offence, which is land for a job.
This company was transferred in the name of Rabri Devi and Tejaswi Yadav in 2014 for the consideration of Rs one lakh, ED submitted.
