Land-for-job scam: Delhi court seeks CBI's reply on plea by Lalu Yadav, others seeking papers filed with charge sheet

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Wednesday sought a reply from the CBI on an application moved by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Yadav, his son and wife in a case related to the alleged land-for-job scam, seeking supply of documents filed along with the charge sheet.

Special Judge Vishal Gogne of Rouse Avenue Court has asked the CBI to file a reply on pleas of eight accused seeking supply of deficient documents, and has posted the matter for hearing next on January 6, 2024.

Lalu’s son and Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, besides moving an application seeking permission to travel to Australia from January 6, has sought permission for renewal of his passport.

The court will likely take up Tejashwi’s matter on December 22.

On October 3, the court had granted bail to Lalu, son and wife in the case. On September 22, the court took cognisance of a fresh charge sheet by the CBI against Lalu Prasad and others including his son and wife. Since the probe agency did not oppose the bail, Additional Sessions Judge Geetanjali Goel granted bail to the Yadavs.

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 and 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.