The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday carried out searches at about two dozen premises of former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad’s three daughters and a son in several cities of Bihar, Ranchi, Mumbai and in the national capital to gather more evidence in the land-for-job scam.
Premises of Prasad’s daughters -- Ragini Yadav, Chanda Yadav and Hema Yadav -- and son Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav in Patna, Phulwari Sharif, national capital region of Delhi, Ranchi and Mumbai were searched by the sleuths, said ED sources. Former RJD MLA Abu Dojana’s house too was covered by the raiding team, ED sources pointed out.
ED’s action comes close to the CBI questioning Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi separately in the land-for-job scam. The CBI has accused Lalu Prasad of offering Group D jobs when he was railways ministers to people in lieu of land which he took in the name of family members, relatives and close associates. The CBI has also chargesheeted Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and 14 others under charges of criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The RJD launched a counter attack, with its Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha accusing the CBI and the ED of following “someone else’s script” by targeting opposition leaders. He stated that the ED’s raids against RJD leaders were a “reaction” to the BJP unable to retain power in Bihar last August.