NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Friday ordered framing charges of corruption and criminal conspiracy against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi and their children Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav and Misa Bharti in the alleged Railways land-for-jobs scam.
Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Courts passed the order after rejecting pleas seeking discharge by the accused. The court held that Lalu Yadav would face trial for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, along with allied offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Other members of his family have been charged with cheating and criminal conspiracy.
The case stems from allegations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that during Yadav’s tenure as Union Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009, Group D jobs in the Railways were allegedly given to candidates in return for land parcels transferred to his family or entities linked to them at throwaway prices.
According to the prosecution, several job aspirants or their relatives either sold or gifted land in Patna and other places to members of the Yadav family and companies controlled by them. The CBI has alleged that no proper public recruitment process was followed and that the land transfers were part of a quid pro quo for railway appointments made across different zones.
Reading out the order in open court, Judge Gogne observed that the material on record pointed to an organised arrangement in which public employment was allegedly used as leverage to secure private property. The court said the allegations disclosed a wider conspiracy involving close associates of Lalu Yadav, who allegedly helped in facilitating land acquisitions in exchange for jobs.
The judge noted that the chargesheet indicated that the Railways Ministry was allegedly treated as a personal domain, with recruitment being misused for personal gain.
The court further held that the request by Lalu Yadav and his family members to be discharged at this stage was without merit, given the evidence cited by the investigating agency.
At the same time, the court clarified that charges were being framed only against those accused for whom sufficient material existed. Of 98 surviving accused named in the case, the court decided to frame charges against 46 persons, including Lalu and his family members, while discharging 52 others.
The Yadav family has consistently denied the allegations, claiming that the case was politically driven and aimed at targeting them ahead of elections. They have maintained that the land transactions were lawful and unconnected to railway appointments.
Separately, the Enforcement Directorate is investigating the alleged money laundering aspect linked to the case. The agency has so far attached properties worth over Rs 600 crore, claiming them to be proceeds of crime arising out of the alleged illegal appointments. The matter is now expected to proceed to the stage of trial, with the court likely to fix dates for recording of evidence.