New Delhi: Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday (March 9, 2023) criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that it is following in the footsteps of the Congress in using investigative agencies to conduct “political raids”. Is. Akhilesh while answering a question from a reporter about the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioning Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi and issuing summons to his son and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav Said that the saffron party would meet the “same fate” of the Congress.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister told reporters that when the Congress was in power, it used the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the CBI and the Income Tax Department to conduct raids on several political leaders in the country.
He said that central investigative agencies like CBI, ED and Income Tax are working at the behest of the BJP government.
Yadav said, ‘BJP is not doing anything new by following the same path.
video | The SP leader says, “The BJP is following in the footsteps of the Congress and using central agencies against opposition leaders.” @yadavakhilesh pic.twitter.com/qfvOnugWL6– Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 11, 2023
Rs 1 crore seized in raids against Lalu Prasad’s family, Rs 600 crore recovered: ED
Amidst the furore over the alleged land-for-jobs scam to Lalu Prasad and his family, the ED on Saturday said it has seized “unaccounted cash” to the tune of Rs one crore and made a crime investigation of Rs 600 crore following raids against him in a related case. Income detected. Money laundering case. The agency said it is suspected that a major part of the proceeds of crime was diverted to purchase a house in New Friends Colony in south Delhi which was being used by Prasad’s son Tejashwi as his residential property.
The agency claimed that the house where Yadav’s stay was raided on Friday was acquired at a mere Rs 4 lakh, while the current market value is around Rs 150 crore.
The ED said in a statement that the probe is on to ascertain the investments made by Prasad’s family and their associates in various sectors, including real estate.
During the searches, undisclosed cash of Rs 1 crore, foreign currency including USD 1,900, 540 grams of gold bullion and over 1.5 kg of gold jewelery worth approximately Rs 1.25 crore were recovered, the probe agency said.
It added, “Several other incriminating documents, including various property documents, sale documents, etc., placed in the name of family members (of Lalu Prasad) and benamidars, testify to illegal accretion of huge land bank and electronic equipment.” indicate.”
It said that as a result of the raids “proceeds of crime of about Rs 600 crore at present have been detected in the form of immovable properties worth Rs 350 crore and transactions worth Rs 250 crore carried out through various benamidars”.
Making special mention of Tejashwi Yadav, the ED said the property at D-1088, New Friends Colony in South Delhi is a four-storey bungalow registered in the name of AB Exports Pvt Ltd and is being used by Tejashwi Yadav as his residence. housing complex.
The ED said that this company has been termed as a “beneficial firm” in the case and is “owned and controlled” by Tejashwi Yadav and his family.
The agency said the house was acquired at a price of only Rs 4 lakh, while the current market value is around Rs 150 crore.
Meanwhile, Tejashwi Yadav was summoned by the CBI on Saturday for questioning in the case, but he did not appear and sought a fresh date citing personal reasons, officials said.
The agency had also recently questioned Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi in this case.
It is alleged that during Lalu’s tenure as railway minister in the UPA government from 2004 to 2009, people were given jobs in the railways in lieu of land gifted or sold at throwaway rates to the Yadav family and its associates.
The CBI has alleged that no advertisement or public notice was issued for the appointment, but some residents of Patna were appointed as officiating in various Zonal Railways located in Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur and Hajipur.
As recompense, the candidates, directly or through their family members, allegedly sold land to Prasad’s family members at highly subsidized rates, ranging from one-fourth to one-fifth of the prevailing market rates.