A day after former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi was quizzed by CBI at her residence in Patna, the officials on Tuesday started questioning former railway minister and RJP supremo Lalu Prasad in connection with the land for jobs case.
A team of five CBI officials arrived at the residence of Misha Bharti in Pandara Park where Prasad is currently residing. Reportedly the questioning will be going on during the day.
His wife Rabri Devi was quizzed for nearly five hours on Monday, said officials.
The case pertains to allegedly giving jobs in the railways in return for for land parcels gifted or sold at cheap rates to the Yadav family and associates.
In connection with the case, CBI had filed a charge sheet against Prasad, his wife and 14 others under the charges of criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. All the accused have been summoned on March 15, said the officials.
The CBI is conducting fresh round of questioning as part of “further investigation” to ascertain the larger conspiracy and corruption.
The opposition parties has criticised the questioning of ailing Prasad, who is convicted in the fodder scam and his wife.
Prasad's son and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said that his family is targeted for its “relentless opposition" to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"It is an open secret that probe agencies are acting against political opponents of the BJP and helping those who agree to align with that party," the RJD leader told reporters.
Yadav said as the former railway minister, Prasad, had "no powers" to give employment in exchange for favours.
He got support from the Congress and the AAP which targeted the central government alleging that the saffron party wanted to "suppress" the voice of the opposition.
"Today Rabri Devi ji is being harassed. Lalu Prasad ji and his family have been harassed for years because they did not bow down," Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted.
CBI officials were asked to follow medical protocol while questioning Lalu Yadav as he had recently underwent a kidney surgery in Singapore.
A CBI official had said that the central agency had served notice to Yadav regarding the questioning.
Meanwhile, Prasad's daughter Rohini Acharya wrote in her tweet that if anything happens to her father she will "not spare anyone".
"Papa is constantly being harassed. I will not spare anyone if anything happens to him. You are troubling my father, it is not right. All this will be remembered. Time is powerful and has great power," said Rohini in her tweet.
Recently, nine opposition leaders including RJD leader Yadav had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the misuse of central agencies targeting the opposition. AAP convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that targeting and harassing opposition leaders is wrong.
The CBI had recently arrested former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. He is currently under judicial custody.
(With PTI inputs)
