Amit Katyal was taken into custody by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on November 11, 2023, in connection with money laundering investigations that were started in the Land for Job Scam under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002.
The ED opened an inquiry based on a formal complaint (FIR) filed with the CBI about the Land for Job Scam. The complaint claimed that Lalu Prasad Yadav, the Railway Minister at the time, had engaged in corruption in order to appoint Group D replacements to the Indian Railways between 2004 and 2009. According to the FIR, the underprivileged aspirants were instructed to transfer land as a bribe in exchange for jobs with Indian Railways. A charge sheet has also been filed by the CBI. The defendant is M/s AK Infosystems Pvt. Ltd.
Amit Katyal was the Director of M/s AK Infosystems Pvt. Ltd. when one of the candidates’ lands was purchased by the aforementioned firm on Lalu Prasad Yadav’s behalf, according to ED investigations. The home of Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family is located in D-1088, New Friends Colony, New Delhi, and serves as the company’s registered location. Amit Katyal additionally obtained a number of other properties inside the aforementioned corporation in exchange for Lalu Prasad Yadav providing unfair privileges during his tenure as Minister of Railways. In 2014, the family of Lalu Prasad Yadav received shares in the aforementioned corporation after obtaining the property.
Prior to this, on March 10, 2023, the ED carried out search operations that led to the seizure of valuables worth around Rs. 1.25 crore and cash worth approximately Rs. 1 crore. On July 29, 2023, ED also provisionally attached immovable properties valued at Rs. 6.02 crore. On November 11, 2023, Amit Katyal appeared before the Honorable Special Court. The Honorable Court has given ED custody to November 16, 2023. Further research is now being conducted.
