CBI questions former Bihar CM Rabri Devi in Railways land-for-job case

CBI officials on Monday (March 6) reached the doors of former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi in Patna to question her in connection with the “land for job” case that dates back to when her husband, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, was the railway minister.

The questioning comes a week after a Delhi court on February 27 issued summons to Lalu Prasad, daughter Misa Bharti, and 14 others to appear before it on March 15.

Those in the know said the CBI officials arrived at Rabri Devi’s residence at 10, Circular Road, in four vehicles around 9.30 am. Heavy security was deployed outside the house. However, officials said the visit was in connection with “further probe” and that no search or raid was taking place.

Also read: CBI raids Lalu Prasad’s premises, files fresh cases

War of words

While RJD expressed disappointment over the questioning, BJP leaders in Bihar asserted that the CBI was just “doing its job as an independent agency” and that RJD president Lalu Prasad was “reaping what he had sown”.

“They (BJP) are afraid of losing and using agency. They will get nothing,” said RJD leader Bhai Birendra.

“Lalu Prasad’s brush with CBI has been long. The fodder scam cases, in which he has been convicted, were lodged much before the BJP came into the picture,” said senior BJP leader and former state minister Nitin Nabin.

He pointed out that “the fodder scam cases were registered when the Centre was ruled by the United Front, of which he was a part. The complainants included Shivanand Tiwary, now his party’s national vice-president, and Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan, who heads the JD(U), his current ally”.

Also read: Lalu Prasad gets 5 year jail term in fifth fodder scam

Jibesh Kumar Mishra, another BJP leader and former minister, said, “Lalu Prasad first got convicted in a fodder scam case in 2013, when the Congress-led UPA, of which his party was a part, ruled the Centre”.

“The CBI is an independent agency and doing its job. Allegations of political vendetta are baseless. Lalu Prasad and his family are reaping what he has sown (jaisi karni vaisi bharni),” the BJP leader added.

Case history

The alleged case dates back to 2005-06, when Lalu Prasad was the railway minister in the Congress-led UPA government. Apart from the RJD chief, the chargesheet also includes the name of the then Railway General Manager.

In July 2022, the CBI arrested Bhola Yadav, who used to be the officer on special duty (OSD) to Lalu Prasad when he was the railway minister. The chargesheet was filed on October 10, 2022, with accusations of criminal conspiracy and corruption against 17 persons.

The CBI has alleged that Lalu Prasad gained financial advantages in the form of landed property in the name of his family members in exchange for the appointment of substitutes in Group D posts in different railway zones. Those undeserving candidates, who allegedly got jobs in exchange for land, have been named as accused as well.

According to the CBI, several anomalies were found in the applications of the candidates and the enclosed documents, due to which the applications should not have been processed and their engagement should not have been approved but it was done.

(With agency inputs)