CBI reopens probe against Lalu Prasad Yadav in railway projects corruption case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) reopened the investigation against Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members in the alleged railway projects corruption case. This is being referred to be a "political move" because it was made only a few months after the previous chief minister of Bihar's party partnered with Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United (JDU) to create the state's administration.

After charges of corruption in the allocation of railway projects during Lalu Yadav's tenure as the ministry of railways under the UPA-1 administration, the initial investigation into the matter began in 2018.

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After Nitish Kumar broke with the BJP in Bihar and teamed up with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to form the government, the CBI decided to revive the investigation. At the time, Kumar said there was a BJP plot to splinter his party.

As the opposition parties intensify their accusations against the BJP-led central government, the CBI's latest step is anticipated to ignite a huge political controversy.

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According to the lawsuit, Yadav was bribed with a property in south Delhi by the influential real estate company DLF Group, which was also interested in the renovation of the New Delhi Railway Station and rail land leasing projects in Mumbai's Bandra neighbourhood. Apart from Yadav, his son and Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, and daughters Chanda Yadav and Ragini Yadav are among those named in the case. The move also comes at a time when 73-year-old Yadav is recovering after a kidney transplant surgery earlier this month.

• CBI
• Lalu Prasad Yadav
• corruption
• corruption case
• Rashtriya Janata Dal
• BJP