A Delhi court has delivered a significant blow to the Lalu family, framing charges against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav, and other accused in the infamous Land for Job Scam, while in its crucial order delivered on Friday, the court explicitly stated that Lalu Yadav and his family operated as a 'criminal syndicate. ' This decision clears the path for the commencement of the trial proceedings in this high-profile case.
Court's Detailed Observations
Judge Vishal Gogne, while pronouncing the order, emphasized that the court finds, on the basis of suspicion, that Lalu. Yadav orchestrated a widespread conspiracy to acquire immovable properties for his family by using public employment as a bargaining tool. The court further noted that if the allegations in the charge sheet are taken. At face value, Lalu Yadav received full cooperation from his close associates in this matter. There are clear indications of a broad criminal conspiracy among the accused, which prima. Facie establishes the conspiracy of providing jobs in exchange for land in the CBI case.
Timeline of the Case and Investigation's Scope
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed a charge sheet in this case, leveling serious allegations, while according to the charge sheet, during his tenure as Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009, Lalu Yadav allegedly flouted rules while making Group-D category recruitments in the railways. It's alleged that he accepted land as gifts from candidates in exchange for jobs. These lands were then transferred to the names of Lalu Prasad Yadav's family members or his close associates. The CBI's investigation concluded that this was a well-planned scam, involving the misuse of power for personal gain at the expense of public resources.
The investigation into the Land for Job Scam intensified after 2020, with extensive raids conducted by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) at various locations in Bihar and Delhi. Following these raids, the CBI formally registered a case on May 18, 2022. Subsequently, on October 7, 2022, the CBI filed its first charge sheet in the land-for-job matter. The investigation progressed, and in June 2024, the CBI filed its final charge sheet in the case. The CBI had initially named a total of 107 individuals as accused in its investigation, including 38 individuals who allegedly received jobs in exchange for land, while tragically, 5 of the accused in this case have since passed away. The court has now framed charges against a total of 41 accused, marking a new chapter in the legal proceedings.
Lalu Yadav's Tenure as Railway Minister
This entire case is linked to Lalu Yadav's tenure as Railway Minister in the Manmohan Singh government. In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress alliance secured a resounding victory, and Lalu Yadav's party won 24 seats. Thanks to these seats, Lalu Prasad Yadav became the Railway Minister, a significant portfolio, in the Manmohan Singh government. His close aide, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, was also appointed as the Rural Development Minister in the same government. Lalu Yadav served as the Railway Minister in the Manmohan Singh government for the full five-year term, from 2004 to 2009, and it's during this period that the alleged scam took place.
