Land-for-jobs scam: Tejashwi Yadav gets new date for CBI questioning
The Delhi High Court asked Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader, Tejashwi Yadav, to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on March 25 for questioning in the alleged land-for-jobs case. The CBI's counsel, advocate DP Singh, told the court that the probe agency is not going to arrest Yadav this month. Yadav has already skipped CBI's summons thrice.
Why does this story matter?
- The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are probing Yadav's family and others in an alleged corruption case wherein his father Lalu Prasad Yadav is accused of giving out railway jobs in lieu of plots during his tenure as railway minister from 2004 to 2009.
- The RJD termed the action a part of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) tactics to destroy the Opposition.
Tejashvi claims he was a minor during the alleged scam
Yadav moved the court on Wednesday, challenging the CBI's summons. The CBI issued him three notices earlier, dated February 28, March 4, and March 11. In his plea, Yadav said the corruption allegations are against his father and other officers. He submitted that he was a minor when the alleged offenses were said to have been committed, and he turned 18 in November 2007.
Summons issued with mala fide intention to harass: Yadav's plea
Yadav's plea also stated that he had been summoned for questioning in Delhi despite the fact that he is a Patna resident. It said that the summons was issued to him with mala fide intention to harass him in violation of Section 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). It requested that Yadav be questioned at his Patna residence or via videoconference.
Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi, Misa Bharti got bail on Wednesday
The order comes a day after Lalu Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi—both former CMs of Bihar—and their daughter Misa Bharti were granted bail in the case. The court observed that the CBI filed the chargesheet without arrest and scheduled the next hearing for March 29.
CBI chargesheet names 16 people as accused in the case
Reportedly, the investigation began two years ago, but the case was not filed until last year. The chargesheet filed by the CBI in October last year named 16 people. The CBI has alleged that Yadav's family members bought land parcels from candidates or their relatives for up to one-fifth of the prevailing market rates in lieu of offering them positions in the railways.
