Tejashwi, Lalu And Rabri Named In CBI Chargesheet In Land-For-Jobs Scam

In a major setback for the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the CBI has filed a chargesheet against Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and his parents and former chief ministers Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi in the land-for-jobs scam.

Calling for Tejashwi Yadav's dismissal, BJP Member of Parliament and former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Modi said, "Chief Minister Nitish Kumar must dismiss Tejashwi Yadav from the cabinet because the state's deputy chief minister has been named by the CBI in a chargesheet in a corruption case."

"I would like to remind Mr Kumar that, when Lalu Yadav had been named in the fodder case, Mr Kumar's party had sought his dismissal. Nitish ji, you say you will not compromise on corruption. Now that your colleague has been named in the chargesheet in the land-for-jobs scam, will you give him protection or dismiss him," asked Mr Modi. 

Tejashwi and Lalu Yadav have been at the forefront of efforts to unite the opposition and played a key role in organising the mega meet of 16 opposition parties that was held in Patna on June 23. 

The land-for-jobs scam involves people allegedly being given employment in the Indian Railways from 2004 to 2009 - when Lalu Yadav was the railway minister - in return for land parcels being gifted or sold at cheap rates to the Yadav family. 

News agency PTI reported that the fresh chargesheet has been filed based on documents and evidence that surfaced after the first chargesheet was submitted. The CBI has also named AK Infosystems and several middlemen in the case, the report said. 

The CBI had also questioned Tejashwi Yadav in New Delhi for more than eight hours in March after he had missed three earlier dates given by the agency. 

The same month, the Enforcement Directorate - which is carrying out a separate investigation into the case - had claimed that the market value of the land allegedly acquired in exchange for jobs by Lalu Yadav's family is approximately ₹ 200 crore.

Tejashwi Yadav had then slammed the BJP government at the centre for "spreading rumours and planting news" and challenged it to release the "seizure list" that contains all the names.