Court summons Lalu Prasad Yadav and Sons in land-for-job money laundering case
- In Reports
- 02:35 PM, Sep 18, 2024
- Myind Staff
In a notable development in the ongoing Land-for-Job money laundering case, the Rouse Avenue court has summoned prominent figures including Lalu Prasad Yadav, his sons Tejaswi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, and several other accused individuals. This is the first time Tej Pratap Yadav has been called in relation to the case, as the court indicated that his involvement could not be dismissed. Although Tej Pratap was not initially charged, he was a director at AK Infosys Ltd., a company implicated in the case.
Special CBI Judge Vishal Gogne issued summons requiring Lalu Prasad Yadav, his two sons, and six other accused to appear in court on October 7. The summons also includes other individuals previously charge-sheeted, such as Akhileshwar Singh and his wife, Kiran Devi.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a supplementary charge sheet on August 6, naming 11 individuals. However, four of these individuals have since passed away. The court has affirmed that there is adequate evidence to proceed against all accused, including Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejaswi Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav, Akhileshwar Singh, Hazari Prasad Rai, Sanjay Rai, Dharmendra Singh, and Kiran Devi. Akhileshwar Singh was part of the ED’s charge sheet, while Kiran Devi, who was not initially charged, is implicated for allegedly selling land to Misa Bharti in return for a job for her son.
In related news, the Delhi High Court granted regular bail to businessman Amit Katyal on medical grounds. Katyal, facing charges in the land-for-job case, had previously been granted interim bail for 84 days due to health issues. His attorney, senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, noted that Katyal was the only person arrested by the ED in this case, whereas Lalu Prasad Yadav was charge-sheeted without arrest.
The ED opposed Katyal’s bail application, citing substantial evidence of his involvement in the money laundering scheme. On August 17, the Rouse Avenue court reserved its order on summoning Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejaswi Yadav, among others, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The initial charge sheet filed by the ED on August 6 included several individuals, such as Lallan Chaudhary, Hazari Rai, and Dharmender Kumar, with four of them now deceased.
The court had previously instructed the ED to expedite its investigation and finalise pending charges. The investigation involves two firms, A K Infosystems and A B Export, which are suspected of being used to acquire land illegally. The transactions involving Lalu Yadav’s family indicate alleged misuse of funds and assets exceeding Rs 200 crore.
Earlier, the Delhi High Court had declined to quash the ED’s proceedings against Amit Katyal, following significant raids that uncovered substantial unaccounted cash and valuable assets linked to the case.
Image source: Organiser.org
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