The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) said in a release that Amit Katyal, Rabri Devi, Misha Bharti, Hema Yadav, and Hridyanand Chaudhary were issued with summons by a PMLA court to appear on February 9, 2024, for a further trial in the alleged “land for job scam.”
In the alleged scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed a prosecution complaint (PC) on January 1, 2024, before the Special Court (PMLA), New Delhi, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, against Amit Katyal, Rabri Devi, Misha Bharti, Hema Yadav, Hridyanand Chaudhary, and two companies: A K Infosystems Private Limited, A B Exports Pvt. Ltd.
According to numerous reports, billionaire Amit Katyal is related to the family of RJD leader and former chief minister of Bihar, Lalu Yadav.
Based on a formal complaint (FIR) filed by CBI over a land-for-job scam, the central agency began looking into allegations that Lalu Yadav, the then-railway minister, engaged in corruption in order to select Group D substitutes in Indian Railways between 2004 and 2009.
According to the FIR, the candidates were instructed to give land as bribe for employment in Indian Railways. A charge sheet has also been filed by the CBI.
On November 11, 2023, Amit Katyal was taken into custody by the agency for intentionally helping Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family launder money. As of right now, Amit Katyal is under judicial detention.
The ED alleged that Rabri Devi, Misha Bharti, Hema Yadav who are accused in the prosecution complaint received land parcel(s) from family of candidates (who were selected as Group D substitutes in the Indian Railways) for nominal amounts.
Hridyanand Chaudhary, another accused in the prosecution complaint, is a former employee in gaushala of Rabri Devi, who had acquired a property from one of the candidates and later transferred the same to Hema Yadav.
The companies A K Infosystems Private Limited, A B Exports Pvt. Ltd–were shell companies that received proceeds of crime for family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav.
The ED said that the immovable properties were acquired in the said companies by front men and thereafter shares were transferred to family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav for nominal amounts. Amit Katyal used to manage these companies for Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family.
With Agency Inputs
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