Lalu Yadav’s brother-in-law surrenders as bulldozers arrive: accused of land grabbing in CM Nitish’s ‘janata darbar’

Former Member of Parliament and brother-in-law of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Subhash Yadav, turned himself in at the MP-MLA Patna court on February 13, in a dramatic turn of events. The surrender followed the imminent threat of demolition as an earth mover machine arrived at his residence in Kautilya Nagar’s MLA Colony, linked to a case under the jurisdiction of Bihta police station. The enforcement action was prompted by a notice of attachment order issued against him on January 30th.

Bihta Circle Inspector Kamleshwar Prasad Singh, alongside his team and officers from the airport police station, posted the official notification of attachment at Yadav’s residence. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) West Diksha, who was present at the scene, clarified that the court had directed the attachment seizure concerning allegations of land fraud and racketeering. However, Subhash Yadav’s immediate surrender upon learning of the impending property seizure stalled the process.

ASP Diksha stated, “A case against Subhash Yadav for cheating and extortion has been registered at Bihta police station. He was evading arrest for an extended period. Although we served notice to him on January 30th and commenced property attachment proceedings under the supervision of the duty magistrate on Tuesday, the accused surrendered in court before further action could be taken.”

The case revolves around Bhim Verma, a resident of Neura’s Bela village, and his disputed seven katha land. Verma filed a complaint on February 27, 2021, alleging land grab, cheating, and extortion against Subhash Yadav and seven others. Notably, Yadav’s wife Renu Devi, son, and former sarpanch of Bela are also named as accused in the complaint.

Verma’s plight came to public attention on April 18, 2022, during the ‘Janata Durbar’ of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, where he accused the Yadav family of unlawfully occupying his land. He claimed to have sold the land to Subhash Yadav for Rs 96 lakh, with an initial payment of Rs 60.50 lakh. Verma alleged that Yadav reneged on the remaining payment and subsequently resorted to physical assault and intimidation tactics against him and his family.

Subhash Yadav, along with his brother-in-law Sadhu Yadav, wielded significant influence during the tenure of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s wife, Rabri Devi, as Bihar’s Chief Minister in the 1990s and early 2000s. Both were perceived as influential figures in Bihar’s political landscape during that period.

The unfolding events coincide with the recent political upheaval in Bihar, as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) severed ties with the RJD and allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form a new government. The BJP’s state unit president, Samrat Chaudhary, vowed to scrutinise past actions, promising to hold individuals accountable during the trust motion debate preceding the government transition.