THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, Nov 11: In relation to a money-laundering probe into the land-for-jobs scam case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Amit Katyal, a businessman who is purportedly closely associated with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejashwi Yadav.
As per the investigative agency, Amit Katyal’s company was implicated in money laundering related to the land-for-job scam. AK Infosystem, the company in question, is currently under scrutiny and is being investigated by both the anti-money laundering agency and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the case.
Katyal had received multiple summons from the agency earlier, and officials said that he had been consistently evading these summons for approximately two months.
According to the Enforcement Directorate, Katyal is identified as a “close associate” of the RJD supremo and former Bihar Chief Minister, Lalu Yadav.
The official mentioned earlier that during the central agency’s raid in March, the premises of Katyal’s company also encompassed the locations of Lalu Yadav, his son Tejashwi Yadav, his sisters, and other individuals.
“The property has been though, on paper declared as office of M/s A B Exports Private Limited and M/s AK Infosystems Pvt ltd, it is being exclusively used as residential premises by Tejasvi Prasad Yadav, son of Lalu Prasad Yadav,” the ED statement read.
The land-for-job scam relates to the time when Lalu Yadav served as the railway minister during the initial term of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Central level.
During the period from 2004 to 2009, the accusation is that numerous individuals were appointed to Group “D” positions across different zones of the Indian Railways. In return, these individuals allegedly transferred their land to the family members of the then railway minister Lalu Yadav and A K Infosystems Private Limited.