Land-for-job case: Will file supplementary charge sheet within a month, CBI to Delhi court

New Delhi : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday informed a Delhi court that it will file a supplementary charge sheet within a month in connection with the alleged land-for-job scam involving Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad and his family members.

Before Special Judge Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Court, the agency assured that the final report would be submitted by the end of February.

This disclosure was made during the court's consideration of an application by RJD leader Ahmed Ashfaq Karim, seeking the release of Rs 13 lakh cash seized during the investigation.

The court has deferred its decision on the application until the filing of the supplementary charge sheet, with the matter scheduled for further hearing on February 27.

Last week, the court had issued summons to Lalu Prasad's wife and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, her daughters, and others in the money laundering case, asking them to physically appear in the court on February 9.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently filed its first charge sheet in connection with the case of the which the court took cognisance. The court had directed the individuals named in the charge sheet to appear in the court, saying there were sufficient grounds to proceed in the matter.

Amit Katyal, who is allegedly a close associate of Lalu Prasad's family, has also been named along with some companies in the charge sheet. The court recently sought a reply from the CBI on an application moved by Lalu Prasad, his son and wife seeking supply of documents filed along with the charge sheet.

The court had asked the CBI to file a reply on the pleas of the eight accused seeking supply of deficient documents. On October 3 last year, the court had granted bail to Lalu Prasad, his son and wife in the case. On September 22, the court took cognisance of a fresh charge sheet filed by the CBI against Lalu Prasad and others.

Since the probe agency did not oppose the bail, Additional Sessions Judge Geetanjali Goel granted bail. The CBI had registered the case on May 18, 2022 against Lalu Prasad and 15 others, including his wife, two daughters and unidentified public servants and private persons.

The ED had said in July that it has attached assets worth more than Rs 6 crore belonging to Lalu Prasad's family -- his wife Rabri Devi and daughter Misa Bharti -- and linked companies as part of its money laundering investigation against them in the case.

The CBI had, on July 3, filed a charge sheet against Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi and their son Tejashwi Yadav.

"During the period 2004-2009, Lalu Prasad (then Railway Minister) had obtained pecuniary advantages in the form of transfer of landed property in the name of his family members in lieu of appointment of substitutes in Group 'D' posts in different Zones of Railways," a CBI official had earlier said.

A number of residents of Patna themselves or through their family members sold and gifted their land in favour of the family members of Lalu Prasad and a private company controlled by him and his family.

"No advertisement or any public notice was issued for such appointment of substitutes in Zonal Railways, yet the appointees, who were residents of Patna, were appointed as substitutes in different Zonal Railways located in Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur and Hajipur.

"In continuation of this modus operandi, about 1,05,292 sq ft land and immovable properties located in Patna were acquired by Lalu Prasad and his family members through five sales deeds and two gift deeds, showing the payment made to the seller in cash in most of the land transfer," the CBI had said.

The CBI had filed the charge sheet in the case on October 10, 2022 against 16 persons, including Rabri Devi and her daughter, and sanction was then obtained to prosecute them.