IRCTC scam: ED raids multiple locations linked to Lalu Yadav in Bihar and Delhi

The Enforcement (ED) Friday conducted searches in multiple cities of Bihar in connection with a money laundering investigation into the land for jobs 'scam' case in which RJD leaders Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi were questioned recently by the CBI.

The searches are covering some leaders linked to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in towns like Patna and Phulwari Sharif, officials said. The case pertains to people allegedly given employment in the railways in return for land parcels gifted or sold at cheap rates to the Yadav family and its associates, they said.

According to reports, ED is also conducting raids at ex-RJD MLA Syed Abu Dojana's premises at Phulwari Sharif in Patna. He is said to be a close aide of party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.

The CBI has filed a charge sheet in the case against Prasad, his wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and 14 others under charges of criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and all the accused have been summoned on March 15, officials had said.

The ED case, filed under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, stems from this CBI complaint.

Both Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi were questioned by the CBI in this case recently.

What is the IRCTC scam?

The IRCTC scam, also known as the railway ticketing scam, refers to a case of corruption that involved the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a subsidiary of the Indian Railways. The scam was uncovered in 2013 and involved the illegal allocation of railway tenders to private firms for catering services in the railway compartments.

The main accused in the case was Lalu Prasad Yadav, a former railway minister and a prominent politician in the state of Bihar. It was alleged that Yadav, along with his family members and associates, received kickbacks from the private firms that were awarded the catering contracts. The scam was estimated to be worth over Rs. 950 crore.

Several arrests were made in connection with the case, including Yadav and his family members. In 2018, Yadav was convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison by a special CBI court in the case. Other accused in the case were also convicted and sentenced to varying prison terms.

The IRCTC scam was a major political scandal in India and raised concerns about corruption in the country's public sector enterprises.