Land-for-jobs scam: CBI summons Tejashwi’s private secretary on Wednesday for second round of questioning

NEW DELHI, Oct 10: The CBI has summoned private secretary to Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday in connection with land-for-jobs scam in the railways when RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was the Railway Minister, officials said.
Sanjay Yadav, the private secretary who was questioned on Saturday, was again called to appear for questioning on Monday but he skipped the notice, they said.
The agency has now asked him to show up for questioning on Wednesday, the officials said.
Sanjay, who served as Tejashwi’s PS during his first tenure as deputy CM in 2015 as well, was summoned earlier also but he had challenged the CBI notices before the Delhi High Court, they said.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently filed a charge sheet before a special court here against Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, daughter Misa Bharti, former general manager of Central Railways Sowmya Raghvan, former CPO of Central Railways Kamal Deep Mainrai, seven aspirants appointed as substitutes and four private individuals.
“During investigation, it has been 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,” a CBI spokesperson had said in a statement.
The agency has kept the investigation open with respect to other suspects, the officials said.
“This land was acquired at prices lower than the prevailing circle rate and much lower than the market rate. It was also alleged that the candidates have used false TC and submitted false attested documents to the Ministry of Railways,” the spokesperson said.
During the probe, the agency claimed to have found a hard disc from 10 Circular Road Patna, the then camp office of Lalu Prasad Yadav when he was the railway minister, carrying a list of 1,458 candidates who were engaged in railways during his tenure.
The CBI has alleged that residents of Patna, Bihar, were appointed as “substitutes” in Group-D posts in different zones of Indian Railways who were regularised during the period 2004-09. (PTI)