Delhi Rouse Avenue court on Friday granted interim bail to former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav till February 28 in Railways land-for-job case.
Vishal Gogne, Special Judge granted relief to Rabri Devi and her daughters after the Enforcement Directorate asserted that it needed time to file arguments on their regular bail application. The accused on Friday appeared before the Delhi Rouse Avenue Court in pursuance to the summons issued by the court in the case after taking cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate.
During the hearing, the Delhi Rouse Avenue court questioned the Enforcement Directorate why it needed the accused’s custody when it had not arrested them during the investigation. The ED began an investigation based on an FIR registered by the CBI which alleged that the RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav who was the Railway Minister at the time, was involved in corruption while appointing Group D substitutes in Indian Railways during 2004-2009.
As per the statement of the Enforcement Directorate, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), court had issued notices against HemaYadav, Misa Bharti, Amit Katyal, Rabri Devi and Hridyanand Chaudhary, to appear for further trial in the Land for job scam in February 9.
Reportedly, this was regarding a prosecution complaint lodged by the ED on January 1 under the provisions of PMLA Act 2002 against Lalu Yadav’s kin, Amit Katyal, a businessman with alleged ties to Lalu’s family members, Hridyanand Chaudhary, a former employee at Rari Devi’s Gaushala who was accused of acquiring property from one of the candidates along with two companies A B Exports Pvt. Ltd. and A K Infosystems Pvt. Ltd., in the alleged scam.
As per CBI, Lalu Yadav had obtained land in the name of his family members in exchange for jobs in Group D posts in various railway zones. Multiple people residing in Patna had also sold their land in Patna in favour of Lalu’s kin and a private company, controlled by his family members, which acquired properties in the name of Lalu’s family.