In a significant development related to land-for-jobs money laundering scandal, the Enforcement Directorate or ED has filed a detailed 100-page supplementary charge sheet in a Delhi court, naming former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his son Tejashwi Yadav, and eight others as defendants, on Tuesday.
Special public prosecutor Manish Jain and advocate Ishaan Baisla revealed that the charge sheet is supported by 96 documents. The court, under Special Judge Vishal Gogne, has scheduled a hearing for August 13 to address arguments concerning the charge sheet.
Earlier, in January, the ED’s charge sheet implicated former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, her daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, businessman Amit Katyal, and former railway employee Hridayanand Chaudhary.
The ED’s investigation originated from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR which alleged that during Lalu Prasad Yadav’s tenure as railway minister from 2004-2009, job seekers were required to transfer land as bribes for employment.
Both Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family were also listed as accused in the CBI’s preliminary case, which led to their bail being granted with the condition of no arrest before the charge sheet’s submission.
Amit Katyal was arrested by the ED in November 2023 and remains in judicial custody, with his bail plea pending in the Delhi High Court.
The ED has alleged that AK Infosystems and AB Exports, two companies linked to the scam, were set up to benefit the Yadav family. It is claimed that AK Infosystems acquired 11 land parcels valued at ₹1.89 crores but transferred them to the Yadav family for ₹1 lakh. These properties were allegedly exchanged for jobs in the railway’s Group D categories and were situated near lands owned by the Yadavs.
Furthermore, the ED accuses AB Exports of generating ₹5 crore through dubious transactions. Tejashwi Yadav is alleged to have purchased the company with funds provided by Katyal. The ED asserts that the proceeds from the sale of three land parcels owned by Devi and two by Hema Yadav were used to provide ₹1 crore to Tejashwi Yadav, which was subsequently invested in AB Exports.
