PATNA, AUGUST 21: Armed with a search warrant issued by the Special CBI Judge for the first time in independent India, the SIT of CBI investigating into the fodder scam today raided the official residence of Chief Minister Rabri Devi to unearth the disproportionate assets of her husband Laloo Prasad.The raids, conducted at nine different places in the city and at Laloo's native village of Phulwaria in Gopalgunj district of Bihar, are said to have yielded satisfactory results and according to a senior CBI official a number of incriminating documents have been seized.
Simultaneous raids were also on at the residences of Laloo's brothers-in-law Anurudh Prasad alias Sadhu Yadav, Subhas Yadav and Prabhunath Yadav, the first two of whom were nominated recently to the State Legislative Council and were facing a public interest litigation on charges of favouritism and nepotism.
Sources say the raid at the official residence of the Chief Minister at 1, Anne Marg will continue till midnight. The raids are the offshoot of a fresh case filed against Laloo and several others yesterday before the designated CBI special court charging the former Chief Minister with possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
None of the senior RJD leaders or ministers of the Rabri Devi government were seen near her residence today. The CBI, meanwhile, in its FIR has said that it has come to possess concrete evidences that Laloo acquired movable and immovable property worth Rs 50.55 lakh. The CBI officials claimed ``they have documentary evidences which were unimpeachable in nature.''
According to these officials, the properties were in the name of Laloo, his wife and dependent children. To ensure the compliance with the direction of the High Court, the CBI filed case RC 5A/98 on August 19, 1998 against Laloo which is punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The officials maintain that they have not taken into account the benami transactions involved and these will be probed in the course of the investigation of the case. Today's raid at the residence of the Chief Minister was carried out in presence of Commissioner R K Singh and district magistrate Bala Verma.
Last year in July, when the CBI decided to arrest Laloo in fodder scam, the RJD workers raised protests and thousand of ``cadres were present at his residence throughout the night.''
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.