Land For Job Scam: Rouse Avenue Court Grants Time To Accused Persons To Inspect Documents

The Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday exceeds time to the accused persons in the Land for Jobs scam to inspect the documents filed along with the charge sheet by the CBI.

The agency has charge-sheeted Bihar Deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav, and Rabri Devi in this case.

Special judge Geetanjali Goel granted more time to the accused to inspect the documents filed along with the charge sheet.

Counsel for the accused persons submitted that they inspected half of the documents. There is a mismatch between the page number in the E-Copy and the hard copy of the charge sheet. For this reason, they need 15 days more time for the inspection.

During the hearing, the court asked if any of the counsel completed the inspection and none of the counsel replied on that affirmative.

After considering the submissions, the court granted time and listed the matter for further hearing on December 20. The court stated that no further time would be granted.

On October 4, the court granted bail to former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, Rabri Devi and others in relation to a fresh charge sheet in an alleged land-for-job scam case.

The Court also directed the CBI to serve the fresh chargesheet copy to all accused in the case.

Earlier, the Court took cognizance of the chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation and issued summons against all accused.

According to the CBI, this is the 2nd chargesheet in the Designated Court against 17 accused including the then Union Minister of Railways, his wife, son, then GM of West Central Railways, then 2 CPOs of WCR, private persons, private company etc. in a case related to Land for Job Scam.

Recently, the CBI filed a charge sheet in the Land for Jobs alleged scam case against former Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, including Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and others.

CBI registered a case on May 18, 2022, against the then Union Minister of Railways and others, including his wife, 02 daughters & unknown public servants and private persons.

However, it was alleged that the then Union Minister of Railways during the period 2004-2009 obtained pecuniary advantages in the form of transfer of landed property in the name of his family members etc. in lieu of appointment of Substitutes in Group “D” Post in different Zones of Railways.

It was further alleged that in lieu thereof the substitutes, who were residents of Patna themselves or through their family members sold & gifted their land situated at Patna in favour of the family members of said Minister and a private company controlled by his family members, which was also involved in transfer of such immovable properties in the name of said family members.

Furthermore, it was also alleged that no advertisement or any public notice was issued for such appointments of substitutes in Zonal Railways, yet the appointees who were residents of Patna were appointed as Substitutes in different Zonal Railways located at Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur and Hazipur.

Earlier, CBI stated that the searches were conducted at many places including in Delhi & Bihar etc.

CBI stated that during investigation, it was found that then Union Minister of Railways with intent to acquire the land parcels situated at the places where his family was already owning land parcels or the places which were already connected to him entered into conspiracy with associates & family members and allegedly derived a design to grab the land of various land owners by offering / providing group D employment in Railways.

The accused allegedly collected applications and documents of such candidates through associates and then sent those to West Central Railway for processing and providing jobs in Railways and the General Managers of West Central Railways under the influence /control of the accused accorded approval for the engagement of candidates.

For providing jobs in railways, they allegedly devised an indirect way wherein the candidates were engaged firstly as substitutes and subsequently, were regularised. A hard disc containing lists of candidates (who were engaged) was also recovered during searches.

It was alleged that a land parcel was purchased in the name of a private company at Rs.10.83 10.83 lakh in 2007 and subsequently, the said land along with some other land parcels purchased by the said company, were brought into the ownership/control of his wife and son, the then Union Minister of Railways by way of transfer of shares at Rs. 1 lakh only.

At the time of transfer, the company allegedly owning land parcels purchased at a total cost of Rs1.77 crore(approx) and it was transferred for a mere Rs.1 Lakh(approx) only, however, the market value of the lands were much more.

Earlier, a chargesheet was filed on October 7, 2022, against 16 accused.