Lalu Prasad Yadav's former OSD Bhola Yadav arrested in land-for-jobs scam

Land-for-jobs scam: Bhola Yadav will be produced before Rouse Avenue court later in the day. The CBI is likely to seek his two-week custody.

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New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday (July 27) arrested Bhola Yadav, former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of then Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, in connection with the land-for-jobs scam, said a report. Notably, Bhola Yadav served as OSD to Lalu Yadav during 2005-09. The CBI is conducting searches at two locations in Patna and two in Darbhanga in Bihar in connection with the case, PTI report said citing officials.

Bhola Yadav's role cropped up during the course of investigation. He will be produced before Rouse Avenue court later in the day. The CBI is likely to seek his two-week custody. In May, the CBI had raided 16 locations during which it recovered a few incriminating documents from the premises of Lalu Prasad and his family members.

According to information, the CBI registered a case against Lalu Yadav, the then union railway minister, his wife Rabri Devi, two daughters and 15 others, including unknown Public servants and Private persons.

"During the period 2004-2009 Lalu Yadav had obtained pecuniary advantages in the form of transfer of landed property in the name of his family members in lieu of appointment of Substitutes in Group "D" Post in different Zones of Railways," an official told IANS.

It is alleged that a number of residents of Patna themselves or through their family members sold and gifted their land situated at Patna in favour of Yadav family and a private company controlled by Yadav and his family and they were also involved in transfer of such immovable properties.

"No advertisement or any public notice was issued for such appointment of substitutes in Zonal Railways, yet the appointees who were residents of Patna were appointed as Substitutes in different Zonal Railways located at Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur and Hazipur," IANS quoted CBI official as saying. 

"In continuation of this modus operandi, about 1,05,292 Sq. feet land, immovable properties situated at Patna were acquired by Yadav and his family members through five sales deeds and two gift deeds, showing the payment made to seller in cash in most of the land transfer," he further added. The CBI probe in the matter is still on.

(With PTI/IANS Inputs)