Delhi High Court has reserved its decision on delaying trial proceedings against Lalu Prasad Yadav and family in the CBI’s land-for-jobs case. The plea claims the FIR lacks sanction and is politically motivated.
New Delhi: On July 24, the Delhi High Court has reserved its order on whether to delay the trial court proceedings against former Bihar Chief Minister and RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family in the ongoing land-for-jobs case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The matter was heard by Justice Ravinder Dhingra, who was informed by Yadav’s lawyer that a plea to cancel the FIR against him—on the basis that no prior sanction was obtained to prosecute the former Union Railway Minister—is listed for hearing on August 12 before the High Court.
ALSO READ: Tej Pratap, Hema Yadav, and Others Granted Bail in Land-for-Job Scam Case
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing on behalf of Lalu Prasad Yadav, requested the court to hear this petition as soon as possible.
He urged the court to ensure that the trial court proceedings do not begin until the High Court decides on the FIR quashing plea.
Sibal stated,
“Let trial court hear my arguments on charge after this petition before HC is decided.”
Another senior advocate, Maninder Singh, also representing Lalu Yadav, added that if the trial court begins hearing the arguments on charges before the High Court makes a decision, then the application pending before the High Court would become meaningless.
He said such a situation would render the High Court plea “infructuous.”
The trial court has scheduled the hearing on the charges for July 26. These charges involve Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, his sons Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, and daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav.
ALSO READ: Railways Land-For-Jobs Scam| Lalu Yadav’s Aide Amit Katyal Granted Bail
Earlier, on July 18, the Supreme Court had refused to stay the trial court proceedings. Additionally, on May 29, the Delhi High Court had also observed that there was no strong reason to halt the proceedings at that time.
Still, it had issued a notice to the CBI on Yadav’s plea to cancel the FIR and had scheduled the matter for hearing on August 12.
This case relates to alleged irregularities in Group D appointments in the West Central Railway Zone headquartered in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. These appointments were reportedly made during Lalu Prasad Yadav’s tenure as Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009.
According to the CBI, people were appointed to these jobs in exchange for land parcels which were either gifted or transferred to Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family or close associates.
Yadav, in his plea before the High Court, has sought the cancellation of the original FIR filed in 2022, as well as three chargesheets submitted by the CBI in the years 2022, 2023, and 2024. He has also requested the cancellation of the orders through which cognizance of the chargesheets was taken by the courts.
The FIR was initially filed on May 18, 2022, naming Lalu Yadav, his wife, two daughters, some unidentified government officials, and private individuals.
Yadav has pointed out that this FIR was registered nearly 14 years after the events allegedly occurred and claimed that the CBI had earlier looked into these matters and even filed a closure report, concluding the investigations.
According to Yadav’s plea,
“Initiation of the fresh investigation in the concealment of the previous investigations and its closure reports is nothing but an abuse of the process of law.”
He argued that he is being subjected to an “illegal, motivated investigation” which violates his fundamental right to a fair and impartial probe.
ALSO READ: [Cash-for-Jobs Scam] “Hearing on Partha Chatterjee Plea Adjourned”: Supreme Court
Further, the petition emphasized that the inquiry and investigation were initiated
“without a mandatory approval under Section 17A of the PC Act. Without such approval, any enquiry/inquiry/investigation undertaken would be void ab initio (void from the beginning).”
Lalu Prasad Yadav has termed the entire process as a clear case of political targeting, stating that it is a result of “regime revenge and political vendetta” and that the lack of necessary approval from authorities renders the entire investigation flawed from the very beginning, resulting in what he described as a “jurisdictional error.”
Case Title:
Lalu Prasad Yadav & Ors. vs. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
Click Here to Read More Reports On Job Scam
