Bihar govt denies being intimated about CBI raids at Lalu's premises

The Bihar government on Saturday denied reports stating that they were intimated about the raids conducted on Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family in prior.

A press release by the Bihar government stated that the reports circulating about information of the raids being given to the senior officials of the state government, Bihar Chief Secretary and Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) are 'baseless'.

"The information regarding the same was given to the Bihar Director General of Police after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raids has begun, following which necessary arrangements were made," the press release stated.

Earlier on Saturday, reports of the Bihar government already aware of the raids conducted at Lalu and family's premises were circulated.

Earlier on Friday, the CBI registered a corruption case against Lalu Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejaswi Yadav; former Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Managing Director P.K. Goyal; and the wife of Lalu's confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sujata on allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006.

The CBI later questioned Rabri Devi and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav.

The case was registered on the allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of Hotels at Ranchi and Puri to a Private Company dealing with Hotels in the year 2006.

The investigative agency also conducted searches at 12 locations across Patna, Delhi, Gurugram and other places.

The RJD supremo, however, refuted the allegations against him and called it a political conspiracy hatched by the BJP.

Meanwhile, while conducting raids at Lalu Yadav's daughter Misa Bharti's premises today, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recovered and seized various incriminating documents, electronic devices including mobile phones.