Lalu Prasad Appears Before ED in Land-for-Job Scam Probe

The ED has issued summons to Lalu on January 19 after he failed to turn up on earlier dates.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav arrived at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in Patna on Monday morning for questioning in the land-for-job case. The federal agency had summoned Lalu Prasad on January 19 after he missed earlier dates.

Accompanied by his elder daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti, Lalu arrived at the ED office around 11 am. A sizable crowd of RJD supporters had gathered outside the office in support of Lalu.

Misa Bharti criticized the BJP-led central government for the ED summons, stating, “This is nothing new. Whenever they want, they send us a summons. Now, not just our family, but they are also sending summons to all those who are in opposition.”

Earlier, the ED had visited Rabri Devi’s official residence to deliver a fresh summons to former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav and Lalu Prasad, asking them to appear on January 29. The summons was personally served to them at their residence for questioning at the Patna office.

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Tejashwi had previously been summoned to appear on December 22 and later on January 5, but he skipped both summons, dismissing the ED notice as routine. Additionally, Lalu Prasad was asked to appear on December 27 at the ED headquarters in New Delhi, which he also skipped.

The case, initially filed by the CBI, alleges that during Lalu Prasad’s tenure as railway minister from 2004-09, railway jobs were exchanged for plots of land either gifted or sold at low prices by the beneficiaries to his family members.

Kavya Bhatt