ED issues fresh summons to Rabri, Tejaswi

Speed Post News Network

Patna: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has asked former Bihar CM Rabri Devi and her younger son and Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly Tejaswi Yadav to appear before it in Delhi on October 27 and October 20, 2017, respectively in connection with its probe into money laundering in land for hotel scam in 2006 when RJD chief Lalu Prasad was Railways Minister.

The ED has already grilled Tejaswi once for around nine hours. Rabri had earlier skipped the ED summons four times. The ED had registered a criminal case against Lalu Prasad’s family members and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on a case registered by the CBI on July 5, 2017, in connection with the scam. The CBI, which had registered a case against Lalu, Rabri, Tejaswi and others in connection with land for hotel scam, recently recorded the statements of Lalu and Tejaswi.

The CBI had registered a case u/s 120B r/w 420 of IPC and Section 13(2) r/w 13(1)(d) of PC Act, 1988, against Lalu, Rabri, Tejaswi, a private person based in  New Delhi, two Directors of a private Hotel Ltd. Company Vijay Kochar and Vinay Kochar, a private Projects/Marketing company based in Delhi, the then MD, IRCTC and unknown others on the allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of BNR Hotels at Ranchi and Puri to the said private Hotel Ltd. Company in 2006.

The CBI had registered the case after a Preliminary Enquiry prima facie revealed that then Railway Minister Lalu had allegedly derived undue advantage by abuse of his official position & by way of sale of about 3 acres of land at Patna by the owners of said private Hotel Ltd Company to another private marketing company having said private person ( wife of his close associate) as its Director at a price which was less than the prevalent circle rate.  It was also alleged that this favour was returned to the company by award of long term lease for the BNR hotels at Ranchi and Puri by manipulating the tender process.