Bihar land scam linking Lalu Prasad Yadav has attracted social media

Patna: Former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav has been a big crowd puller. He still is. But these days the crowd consists of tweeple or who are commonly known as tweeter-users.

The land deals made by some of his family members during his tenure as union railway minister have attracted a good many tweeter account holders. Many of them want to know how his daughter could purchase a farm house in Delhi worth Rs 100 crores for less than Rs one and a half crores. Also if it was a case of quid pro quo.

चुप्पी का राज क्या है? " asks a tweeter-user.

Another has asked ''वो तो आप बताएंगे कि जमीन घोटाला, चारा घोटाला और शहाबुद्दीन पर नीतीश की चुप्पी का राज क्या है?''

The third is more attacking. "तुम चाचा घोटाले भी करो, गुंडों के साथ गलबहियां भी करो और लोकतंत्र पर खूब कालिख पोतो।

कोई ऐसा सगा नहीं,जिसको चाचा ने ठगा नही।"

The land deal referred to in these messages are the latest which has come to light.

Two other suspicious deal cases had appeared in newspapers a few weeks ago. The first case was related to purchase of land in Patna for construction of a mall. the largest in the state. The next was purchase of a land in a posh locality in Delhi , New Friends' colony.

In all these cases the modus operandi used was the same. A company which appeared to be a shell company purchased land, then sold some shares of the company to his sons or daughter, appointed them directors and transferred the land to them for a song.

All these deals can be questioned on the moral ground but not legal. Under the current law, a private company can be formed with minimum two share holders and maximum 200 . It can begin operation with two directors. New directors can be appointed by the board of the company who can purchase shares at a price decided by the board. Shares or assets can be also gifted in certain cases.

Thus, there is a large hole in the law for any one to escape through.

The allegation is that the family has purchased these lands-- one large patch in Patna and two in Delhi in addition to a bunglow-- using this loophole.

The Opposition calls it a land scam. It is the second scam linking Lalu after the foddergate.

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