IRCTC case: ED attaches three acres land, Tejashwi calls it Nitish's conspiracy

Patna (Bihar) [India] December 8 (ANI): After the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached three acres of land belonging to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad and his family in connection with the IRCTC case, his younger son Tejashwi Yadav on Friday said it is a political conspiracy by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Speaking to ANI, Tejashwi said, "The property was already attached by the Income Tax department. I see no reason behind this. It's a political conspiracy by Nitish Kumar. The day charge sheet is filed we will answer all allegations with evidence".

The ED on Friday attached three acres of land worth Rs 44.75 crore (circle rate) of Lara Project of Rabri Devi and her family under PMLA in connection with the IRCTC case.

Earlier on October 10, Tejashwi was interrogated by ED for eight and half hours.

He was questioned about money laundering in the railway hotel allotment case as the agency was unsatisfied with the earlier probe.

The investigative agency in July registered a corruption case against the RJD chief, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi, Sarla Gupta, wife of Prem Chand Gupta, Vijay Kochar and Vinay Kochar, both directors of Messer's Sujata Hotel Private Limited, Messer's Delight Marketing Private Limited, P K Goel, the then Managing Directors, IRCTC and others under Section 120B read with Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)d Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 in connection with the case.

The FIR, lodged by the CBI against the RJD chief, stated there were irregularities in awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of the BNR hotels in Ranchi and Puri when he was the railway minister from 2004 to 2009.

The investigating agency had alleged the tender process was rigged, manipulated and the conditions were tweaked by the then railway minister to help a private hotel company. (ANI)