The Central Bureau of Investigation assured the Delhi High Court on Thursday that it would not arrest Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, when he would appear before the agency in Delhi on March 25 for questioning in relation to the land-for-jobs scam case.
The Single-Judge Bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, while hearing a petition filed by Yadav against the summons issued to him by the national agency to appear at its headquarter in Delhi for questioning, recorded the submission made by Advocate DP Singh, appearing for CBI.
The Counsel for CBI said that Yadav could appear at CBI headquarters on any Saturday in March, adding that the agency was not contemplating his arrest this month.
The lawyer appearing for Yadav said that he would appear before the IO at CBI headquarters on March 25 at 10:30 am. The Senior Counsel representing Yadav earlier had submitted that he was a Deputy Chief Minister with four portfolios.
He had contended that since the Budget Session of Parliament was going on, Yadav could not come to the CBI headquarters for questioning.
He asked CBI to either come to Patna or join him through video conference (VC) for questioning. As per the lawyer, Yadav came to Delhi for one day. In 11 days, three summons had been served on him. His wife was pregnant and because of the raid by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), her condition worsened and she had to be hospitalised.
Representing the national agency, Singh said that Yadav could come to CBI headquarters on any Saturday, since there was no session on Saturday. He further contended that when Yadav was in Delhi, there was no session, but he still chose not to join the investigation.
As per the CBI Counsel, VC would not serve any purpose, since they had to conduct investigation by confronting the people and showing them documents related to the case. He said the CBI’s charge sheet was ready and they had to file the same by month end.
The petition filed by Yadav contended that the impugned notices had been issued in gross violation of the CrPC provisions.
It said the notice under Section 160 of the Code could only be issued to a person situated within local jurisdiction of the police station or within the adjoining police station. In the present matter the petitioner being a resident of Patna in Bihar, was required to join investigation at New Delhi, which was neither within the Jurisdiction of Patna nor adjoining the same, it added.
Earlier on Wednesday, Special Judge Geetanjali Goel at the Rouse Avenue Courts granted bail to Tejashwi’s father and former Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his mother and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, along with his sister and RJD MP Misa Bharti, in a case related to the land-for-job scam.
A charge sheet was filed in the case by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on October 10, 2022 against 16 persons. CBI had alleged in its charge sheet that irregular appointments were made in the Railways, violating laid down norms and procedures of Indian Railways for recruitment.