“They will bother us thousand times, but…,” says former Bihar CM Rabri Devi on CBI team at her residence

Patna (Bihar) [India], March 6 (ANI): Former Chief Minister of Bihar Rabri Devi on Monday took a jibe at the Central government after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) reached her residence in connection with the land-for-job case, saying that it would continue bothering her family, but they won’t cow down.

“They (the central government) will bother us a thousand times but we won’t bow down,” Rabri said as she reacted to CBI’s visit to her residence in Patna on Monday.
The CBI in a statement said that Rabri Devi had herself decided March 6 (today) as the date of the hearing.

“A few days ago CBI summoned former Bihar CM Rabri Devi and she herself decided Monday, March 6 as the date of questioning at her residence. It’s not that CBI barged in,” a CBI official told ANI.

Earlier in the day, former Bihar CM while commenting on the central agency visit to her residence, said, “This is nothing. This has been the case since the beginning.”

However, condemning the visit of the CBI team to Rabri Devi’s residence, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “This is wrong, raids like these are humiliating.”

Earlier on October 7 last year, the CBI filed a chargesheet against former Bihar chief ministers Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi, their daughter Misa Bharti and 13 others in the alleged land-for-job scam.

CBI on Monday told ANI that it is likely to question former Lalu Prasad Yadav in connection with the alleged scam.

CBI has also said that it had also served notice to Yadav a few days ago.

“A few days ago CBI had served notice to former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Yadav in connection with the land-for-job case. CBI is likely to question Lalu Yadav soon,” a CBI official told ANI on Monday.

A chargesheet filed by the CBI last year stated that during the investigation, it was found that the accused in conspiracy with the then GM Central Railways and CPO, Central Railways engaged persons as substitutes in lieu of land either in their name or in the name of their close relatives.

This land was acquired at prices lower than the prevailing circle rate and much lower than the market rate. It was also alleged that the candidates have used false TC and submitted false attested documents to the Ministry of Railways, said the CBI statement.

The alleged scam occurred between 2004 and 2009 when Lalu Yadav was the Railway Minister. Apart from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief, the chargesheet also includes the name of the then Railway General Manager.

CBI stated that the investigation had revealed that the candidates were considered for their engagement without any need for substitutes and there was no urgency for their appointment which was one of the main criteria behind the engagement of substitutes and they joined their duties much later from the approval of their appointment and they were subsequently regularised.

There were several anomalies found in the applications of the candidates and the documents that were enclosed due to which the applications should not have been processed and their engagement should not have been approved but it was done.

Recently on February 27, while taking cognizance of CBI chargesheet, Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court issued summons against Lalu, his wife

Rabri Devi and 14 others in connection with alleged land-for-job scam.