CBI raids a preparation for Central rule, alleges Laloo

He alleged that the CBI was playing into the hands of top leaders of the BJP-Samata combine “who were trying to destabilise the duly elected Government” and “misled the special court into believing that I was trying to tamper with evidence and immediate search warrants against me and my kin were necessary.”

Yadav said the CBI in its prayer for conducting searches had maintained that assessment of movable and immovable property belonging to him and his relatives was required despite the fact that “all my property has been assessed by theIncome-Tax Department.”

The former Chief Minister said since the “I-T Department had slapped some extra taxes on him and his family he had contested it and the matter was subjudice.”

“There was practically no need for institution of a disproportionate assets case against me by CBI, which should have waited till disposal of the Income-Tax dispute,” he said.

Yadav dared CBI Director Trinath Mishra to make public “incriminating documents and other incriminating findings” the agency might have stumbled upon during the raids.

“We (Laloo and Rabri) have already given details of our sources of income and expenditure in our Income-Tax returns …. We have nothing to hide,” he said.

“We will quit politics if our guilt is proved in the court of law and in spite of the humiliation heaped upon us by CBI we will continue to cooperate with it as we have full faith in the judiciary,” he said.

He also released photo copies of the reported inventory prepared by CBI during yesterday’s raids on CM’sofficial residence and houses of her relatives.

Yadav said in the inventory the investigating agency had detailed articles of daily use like air-conditioners, TV sets, furniture and gold and silver jewellery gifted by relatives and purchased at the time of his marriage.The investigating agency had also listed one Maruti car of 1991 model parked at the back of the Chief Minister’s official residence, he said.