Lalu, kin 'consolidated' their land: ED

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad and his family members acquired at a discount, separate land parcels from candidates who were given jobs in the railways, with a purpose to "consolidate" the land already owned by the family to increase the size of their overall landholding and, therefore, its value in the real estate market, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has claimed in its charge sheet filed earlier this month in the land-for-jobs money laundering probe.

- Neeraj Chauhan

NEW DELHI: Overall, seven land parcels in Patna were transferred at throwaway prices in the name of Lalu's wife Rabri Devi and daughter Hema Yadav by the family members of the candidates or the candidates themselves who applied for and received jobs as Group D substitutes in railways, when Lalu headed the ministry of railways between 2004 and 2009.

Interestingly, some of those who transferred their land to the Lalu family in return for the jobs did so to people who worked for Rabri Devi as security guard and Gaushala (dairy) worker, and, they, in turn, transferred land to the family, the charge sheet explained.

A Delhi court last week took cognisance of the charge sheet, which names Rabri Devi, daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, along with others as accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The federal investigation agency seems to have stepped up the pace of its investigations in recent weeks. On Monday, it questioned Lalu in Patna and on Tuesday, it was the turn of his son Tejashwi Yadav.