Land for Job Scam: Court Takes Cognizance on Chargesheet, Summons Lalu Yadav

Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Friday issued summons to former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, and other individuals accused in connection with a new chargesheet in the alleged Land for Job Scam case.

Special Judge Geetanjali Goel took cognizance of a fresh chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and issued summons to all the accused.

According to the CBI, this marks the second chargesheet in the designated court, encompassing 17 accused, including the former Union Minister of Railways, his spouse, son, former GM of West Central Railways (WCR), two former CPOs of WCR, private individuals, a private company, and more, all in relation to the Land for Job Scam.

The CBI recently filed a chargesheet in the alleged Land for Job scam case against Lalu Prasad Yadav, including his son Tejashwi Yadav and others.

The CBI initiated a case on May 18, 2022, against Lalu Yadav and others, including his wife, two daughters, unidentified public servants, and private individuals. The allegations included the former Union Minister of Railways, during the period 2004-2009, obtaining financial benefits in the form of transferred land in the name of his family members in exchange for the appointment of Substitutes in Group “D” Posts in various Railway Zones.

It was further alleged that the appointed substitutes, who were residents of Patna or had connections to the family, sold or gifted their land in Patna to the family members of the Minister and a private company controlled by them, which was also involved in transferring such immovable properties to the Minister’s family.

The CBI also asserted that no public notices or advertisements were issued for these substitute appointments in Zonal Railways, yet individuals residing in Patna were appointed as substitutes in different Zonal Railways located in Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur, and Hazipur.

Searches were previously conducted at multiple locations in Delhi and Bihar, among other places, according to the CBI.

“During the investigation, it was found that the former Union Minister of Railways conspired with associates and family members to acquire land in places where his family already owned land or had connections, with the aim of obtaining land from various landowners by offering/group D employment in Railways,” the CBI stated.

The accused allegedly collected applications and documents from candidates through associates and then forwarded them to West Central Railway for processing and job placement in Railways. The General Managers of West Central Railways, allegedly influenced or controlled by the accused, approved the engagement of these candidates, according to the CBI.

For providing jobs in Railways, they allegedly devised an indirect method in which candidates were initially engaged as substitutes and later regularized.

“A hard disk containing lists of candidates (who were engaged) was also recovered during searches. It was further alleged that a land parcel was purchased in the name of a private company at Rs.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 of the then Union Minister of Railways by way of transfer of shares at Rs. One Lakh only,” the CBI stated.

The CBI added that at the time of transfer, the company allegedly owned land parcels purchased at a total cost of Rs 1.77 crore (approx), yet it was transferred for a mere Rs.1 Lakh (approx) only, despite the lands having a significantly higher market value.

Previously, a chargesheet was filed on October 7, 2022, against 16 accused, and the investigation is ongoing, as per the CBI’s information to the Court.