CBI team at ex-Bihar CM Rabri Devi’s Patna residence over land-for-job case

CBI team at former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi’s Patna residence in connection with land-for-work case
A CBI team is reportedly interrogating former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi at her residence in Patna in connection with the land scam.
A CBI team visited former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi’s Patna residence in connection with the land scam. Initial reports suggest that Central Intelligence Agency officials are interrogating Rabri Devi in connection with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) corruption case in which she was allegedly involved in the purchase of land in lieu of employment in the Indian Railways.

Last month, Delhi’s Rose Avenue Court had summoned former Union Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, daughter Misa Bharti and 13 others in connection with the land scam. .

In October last year, the CBI filed a chargesheet against 13 people including Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi and Misa Bharti.

During investigation, it was found that the accused conspired with the then Central Railways and CPO, Central Railways to engage differently abled persons in lieu of land in their names or in the names of their close relatives.

The land was acquired at a price lower than the prevailing circular rate and much lower than the market price. The CBI report said that the candidates used wrong DC and submitted wrongly attested documents to the Railway Ministry.

The scam allegedly took place from 2004 to 2009 when Lalu Yadav was the railway minister. Apart from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president, the then General Manager of Railways has also been named in the charge sheet.

The CBI said investigations revealed that differently-abled persons were considered for engagement unnecessarily, there was no urgency in their appointment, which was one of the main criteria behind the appointment of differently-abled persons, and they joined the service much later. Approval of their appointment and they were later formalized.

Several inconsistencies were found in the applications of the applicants and the documents attached thereto, due to which the applications should not have been considered and their engagement not recognised, but it was done.
Also, in most cases, the applicants joined their jobs in their respective divisions on multiple dates defeating the purpose of recruiting alternates. were created and subsequently, they were considered and appointed in posts requiring lower/lower medical category, the CBI said.