Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav appears before CBI for questioning in connection with land-for-jobs ‘scam’

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav skipped three earlier dates and appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday for questioning in the land-for-jobs scam, officials said.

On his arrival at the CBI headquarters around 10:30 am, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader was taken to the interrogation team after the necessary formalities. The CBI had assured the Delhi High Court last week that it would not arrest Yadav this month.

According to the RJD leader’s lawyer Maninder Singh, Yadav told the feds that as the ongoing Bihar Assembly session ends on April 5, he needs some time to appear before its monitors.

Singh had also informed the court that Yadav would appear before the investigating officer at the CBI headquarters in Delhi at 10:30 am on March 25.

CBI counsel DP Singh told the court that the Assembly does not meet on Saturdays and Yadav can appear before it. Agency on any Saturday in March at his convenience. The RJD leader had sought quashing of summonses dated February 28, March 4 and March 11 against him.

On March 15, a special CBI court granted bail to Yadav’s father Lalu Prasad and mother Rabri Devi, two former chief ministers of Bihar – sister Misa Bharti and others in the land scam case.

The CBI’s investigation against the Yadav family and others is part of its ongoing probe into documents and evidence that emerged after the first chargesheet was filed. According to officials.

Officials also said a fresh round of questioning of the accused is taking place as part of “further investigation” based on new inputs gathered during the agency’s ongoing investigation.