Patna: Amit Katyal, a businessman with purported close ties to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejashwi Yadav, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money-laundering investigation related to the land-for-jobs scam case.
The ED alleges that Katyal's company, AK Infosystem, played a role in money laundering within the context of the land-for-job scam. AK Infosystem has been under scrutiny by both the anti-money laundering agency and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in relation to the case.
Having issued multiple summons to Katyal earlier, the ED states that he had been evading these summons for approximately two months. The Enforcement Directorate identifies Katyal as a "close associate" of RJD supremo and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Yadav.
The central agency had previously conducted raids on the premises of Katyal's company in March. During these raids, the locations of Lalu Yadav, his son Tejashwi Yadav, his sisters, and others were also investigated, according to officials.
While officially declared as the office of M/s A B Exports Private Limited and M/s AK Infosystems Pvt Ltd on paper, the ED claims that the property is exclusively used as a residential premises by Tejasvi Prasad Yadav, the son of Lalu Prasad Yadav.
The land-for-job scam relates to the period when Lalu Yadav served as the railway minister during the first term of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre. Allegedly occurring from 2004 to 2009, the scam involves the appointment of several individuals to Group "D" positions in various zones of the Indian Railways. In return, these individuals purportedly transferred their land to the family members of the then railway minister Prasad and A K Infosystems Private Limited.
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