Soon after searches linked to Lalu Prasad Yadav were launched by the CBI across at least 16 locations on Friday, his party colleague slammed the central probe agency over the action. “This is an attempt to muzzle a strong voice. CBI’s direction and actions are completely biased,” RJD leader Alok Mehta was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Several RJD leaders were also seen protesting amid the searches.
The fresh searches come weeks after the 73-year-old former union minister was granted bail in the last of the five fodder cases in which he has been convicted. His lawyer told the court that he had served half of the five-year term. The fodder scam pertained to the corruption allegations when the RJD patriarch was the chief minister of Bihar between 1990 and 1997. Some officials said Friday’s raids were linked to the alleged jobs fraud between 2004 and 2009 when Lalu Yadav was the union minister for railways.
Huge security was seen outside Rabri Yadav’s Patna residence; searches were also carried out in Delhi and Gopalganj among other places.
