New Delhi: A Delhi court Friday issued a production warrant against former railway minister Lalu Prasad’s close aide Amit Katyal in a money laundering case related to the purported land-for-jobs scam.
Special judge Vishal Gogne issued the warrant for the production of Katyal January 31, after being informed the accused could not appear in the case as he was in judicial custody in Bhondsi Jail, Gurgaon, in another matter.
“It is submitted by the counsel for accused number 1 (Katyal) that he is presently in judicial custody in Bhondsi Jail, Gurgaon… and therefore, not present today. Let production warrants be issued for the accused through VC for the next date,” the judge said.
The judge January 16 granted two weeks to authorities concerned to process sanction to prosecute another accused, R K Mahajan, a public servant, in a related corruption case, saying if the sanction was not processed by January 30, “the competent authority shall furnish a written explanation by the next date of hearing.”
The CBI November 26, 2024, filed before the court requisite sanctions obtained from authorities concerned to prosecute 30 accused persons in the corruption case and said sanctions for the prosecution of Mahajan were still awaited.
The matter relates to Group-D appointments made in the west central zone of Railways based in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, during Prasad’s tenure as the railway minister between 2004 and 2009. The alleged quid pro quo had the recruits gift or transfer land parcels in the name of the RJD supremo’s family or associates in return for jobs.
The CBI registered a case May 18, 2022, against Prasad and others, including his wife, two daughters, unidentified public officials and private persons.
The ED registered its case based on the CBI FIR.
While the CBI is investigating the alleged corruption in the matter, the ED is probing the money laundering angle of the alleged scam.
PTI
