RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav appears before ED in 'Land-for-jobs' case

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Monday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Patna for questioning in connection with its probe into the alleged land-for-jobs scam, officials said.

Prasad accompanied by his daughter Misa Bharti reached the central agency's office around 11:05 am, they said.

Talking to reporters before entering the ED office, Bharati said, "Whenever any central agency calls our family members for questioning, we go there and cooperate with them and answer all their queries".

A Delhi Court on Saturday had summoned Lalu's wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, and their daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, after the ED filed a charge sheet against them in same case.

Special Judge Vishal has directed the accused to appear before the court on February 9, saying there were sufficient grounds to proceed in the matter.

The agency is expected to file supplementary chargesheets in the land-for-jobs case.

Lalu's son and former deputy chief minister of Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, has also deposed before the ED once. He has been asked to appear again in the matter.

The alleged scam pertains to the period when Lalu Yadav was the railway minister in the UPA-1 government.

It is alleged that from 2004 to 2009, several people were appointed to Group "D" positions in various zones of the Indian Railways and in return, these people transferred their land as bribes to the family members of the then railway minister and a linked company named A K Infosystems Private Limited.

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