Land for Job Scam: Delhi Court Seeks CBI Response on Plea of Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi and Ors

Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday sought a response from the CBI on an application submitted by accused individuals, including Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, and Tejaswi Yadav, seeking the supply of documents filed with the charge sheet. The three are implicated in the Land for Job Scam.

Special Judge Vishal Gogne directed the CBI to respond to the pleas of eight accused seeking the provision of deficient documents. The next hearing is scheduled for January 6, 2024.

Bihar Deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav has moved an application seeking to travel to Australia next month and sought approval for the renewal of his passport. The court is expected to hear the application on December 22. Tejaswi’s counsel stated that he is set to travel to Australia from January 6.

The case is currently at the stage of document scrutiny following the filing of the charge sheet. 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 chargesheet in the alleged Land for Job Scam case.

According to the CBI, this is the second chargesheet in the Designated Court against 17 accused, including the then Union Minister of Railways, his family members, and other individuals in connection with the Land for Job Scam. The CBI filed the chargesheet against former Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, and others.

The CBI had registered a case on May 18, 2022, against the then Union Minister of Railways and others, alleging that he obtained pecuniary advantages by transferring landed property to his family members in exchange for appointing substitutes in Group “D” posts in different Railway Zones.

Searches were conducted at various locations in Delhi and Bihar during the investigation. The accused allegedly engaged candidates as substitutes and subsequently regularized them to acquire land parcels. A chargesheet was filed on October 7, 2022, against 16 accused, and the investigation is ongoing, as per the information provided to the court by the CBI.