Patna/New Delhi : Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav left the CBI office following a marathon interrogation that lasted close to nine hours on Saturday in relation to the land for job scam case. He arrived at the CBI headquarters at around 10.30 am and left during lunch. However, after lunch hours, the Bihar Deputy CM again returned to the CBI office and the interrogation resumed. According to CBI sources, Tejashwi is being questioned till late into Saturday night.
"Before as well, my family and I cooperated with CBI officials during interrogation. Whatever questions were asked I responded properly. It doesn’t matter what others say, the truth is that no such scam has happened. Everyone knows why this is happening," Bihar Dy CM Tejashwi Yadav told the media while leaving from the CBI office.
In this case, the ED and the CBI have questioned RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi in the past. This 14-year-old case is about giving jobs in exchange for land when Lalu Yadav was the Railway Minister. The agency questioned Tejashwi today.
At the same time, Lalu Yadav's elder daughter Misa Bharti was being interrogated by the Enforcement Directorate on Saturday. Misa Bharti left the ED office after questioning.
Earlier in the day, while leaving his residence for the CBI office, Tejashwi Yadav told the media, "We have been cooperating with investigative agencies from the beginning. But the kind of political environment prevailing in the country... It is easy to bow down. But it is very tough to fight. We have chosen to fight. We will fight and we will prevail."
CBI sent a summons to Lalu's son Tejashwi Yadav to appear for questioning three times (March 4, March 11 and March 14). But all three times he did not appear. Tejashwi had cited the ill health of his wife. After this, Tejashwi filed a petition in the Delhi High Court on Thursday demanding the cancellation of CBI's summons.
Also Read : CBI questions Lalu Prasad in land for jobs scam case
But the court rejected the petition after hearing the arguments and asked him to appear before the Central agency. During the hearing, it was argued on behalf of Tejashwi in the court that due to the proceedings of the Assembly, he could not appear for questioning in the corruption case. He will appear before the probe agency after the completion of the budget session, his lawyers told the court.
The CBI said in its argument that the proceedings of the Bihar Legislative Assembly do not take place on Saturdays and Sundays. In such a situation, Tejashwi can appear for questioning on any Saturday and Sunday in March. After listening to both sides, the court asked the Deputy CM to appear for questioning on January 25 at 10:30 am.
The CBI registered the land for jobs case on May 18, 2022. According to the FIR, between 2004 and 2009, Lalu Yadav, while being the Railway Minister in the UPA government, gave jobs to 12 people from Patna in exchange for land. According to the CBI, Lalu Yadav got lands registered in the name of his family members. The CBI started the investigation into the case in the year 2021.
