New Delhi: Fresh trouble seems to be in store for RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is preparing to initiate proceedings to attach their properties as part of its probe into a money laundering case. The case pertains to alleged irregularities in awarding tenders for development, maintenance and operation of railway hotels at Ranchi and Puri to a private firm when the RJD chief was the railway minister. The agency, sources said, will soon issue provisional attachment orders in this regard.
“The ED is investigating the alleged ‘proceeds of crime’ generated by the accused in the case. The agency will soon initiate proceedings to attach such movable and immovable assets,” sources said.
The ED had recently registered a money laundering case against Lalu and his family members under the stringent provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED took cognisance of a CBI FIR in this regard to initiate the move.
Earlier this month, the CBI had registered a corruption case in this regard and conducted multiple searches against the former Bihar chief minister and others.
Mr Yadav’s wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi and others are also being probed by the ED. The case dates back to the time when Mr Yadav was the railway minister in the UPA government. Others named in the CBI FIR include Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar (both directors of Sujata Hotels), Delight Marketing company, now known as Lara Projects, and the then IRCTC managing director P.K. Goel.
The CBI FIR alleges that Mr Yadav, as railway minister, handed over the maintenance of two IRCTC hotels to a company after receiving a bribe in the form of prime land in Patna through a ‘benami’ company owned by Sarla Gupta.
The FIR was registered on July 5 in connection with favours allegedly extended to Sujata Hotels in awarding a contract for the upkeep of the hotels in Ranchi and Puri and receiving premium land as ‘quid pro quo’.
