In a significant turn of events, a Delhi court, presided over by Special Judge Geetanjali Goel, granted bail to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo, Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and their son Tejashwi Yadav in the controversial land-for-jobs scam case. Following their appearance in court in response to the summons issued against them, each was granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 50,000.
The crux of the case centers around alleged appointments made in the Railways, which were purportedly in exchange for land transferred to Lalu Prasad’s family during his tenure as the Union Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has put forth claims that these appointments were not in line with the established standards and guidelines set by the Indian Railways for recruitment.
Speaking ahead of the hearing, Lalu Prasad Yadav was quoted saying,
“hearings keep happening and I am not scared of it as I have not done anything wrong.”
The investigative agency, CBI, registered a case on May 18, 2022. The allegations suggest that property was acquired in exchange for railway jobs, with the property being registered under the name of a private company. This property was later transitioned into the ownership of the Yadav family members through a process of share transfers, with values significantly below the prevailing market rate.
The CBI’s involvement has led to the filing of two distinct chargesheets. The first, dated October 7, 2022, pertained to appointments made in the Central Zone of the Railways. The subsequent chargesheet, filed in July 2023, focused on appointments in the West Central Zone. The court took cognizance of the initial chargesheet on February 27, 2023, and subsequently, on March 15, granted bail to all the accused, noting that
“the chargesheet was filed without any arrest.”
In addition to the bail, the Delhi court has directed the CBI to furnish copies of the chargesheet to all individuals implicated in the case. Earlier, on September 22, the court had issued summons to the former railway minister, the ex-Chief Minister of Bihar, and the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, along with 14 other accused, linking them to the alleged scam.
