Land-for-jobs scam: CBI searches at premises of RJD leaders on day of Nitish Kumar's floor test

New Delhi: The CBI on Wednesday started a search operation at the premises of several RJD leaders in Bihar in connection with the alleged land-for-jobs scam that took place during the tenure of Lalu Prasad as Union railway minister, officials said.

The search operation comes on a day when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who parted ways with the BJP to ally with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), is set to face a trust vote in the state assembly.

The search operation is being carried out at the premises of several senior leaders of the RJD including Sunil Singh, Ashfaque Karim, Faiyaz Ahmad and former MLC Subodh Rai, they said.

The CBI has named the RJD supremo, his wife Rabri Devi, and daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, in addition to 12 people who were given jobs in Railway zones of Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur, Hajipur in 2008-09 in the case, the officials said.

The central agency had registered a preliminary enquiry on September 23, 2021 related to the land-for-jobs scam in Railways.

The candidates were appointed as substitutes in group D positions within three days of applying in ”undue haste” by Railway officials and were later regularised ”in lieu thereof the individuals themselves or their family members transferred their land,” according to the agency.

The transfers were made through three sale deeds in the name of Rabri Devi and one in the name of Misa Bharti and two gift deeds in the name of Hema Yadav, the agency alleged.

The ‘Mahagathbandhan’, which comprises Bihar chief minister’s JD(U), besides RJD, Congress, CPI(ML), CPI and CPI(M), has a combined strength of more than 160 in the 243-strong House.