National Desk
9 January
Tv10 Punjab
A Delhi court on Friday ordered the framing of charges against RJD chief and former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his family members, and several others in the alleged “jobs for land” scam. The case relates to appointments made in the Indian Railways during Yadav’s tenure as Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne observed that Lalu Prasad Yadav allegedly treated the Railway Ministry as his “personal property” and used it to run a criminal enterprise. The court said public jobs were allegedly used as bargaining tools, where railway appointments were given in exchange for land transferred to Yadav’s family members or close associates, with the help of railway officials and trusted aides.
The court ordered charges to be framed against 41 accused persons in the case. At the same time, it discharged 52 individuals, including some railway officials, citing insufficient evidence against them. Earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) submitted a verification report stating that out of 103 accused named in the charge sheet, five had died.
The court has fixed January 23 as the date for formally framing charges in the matter.
The CBI has filed charge sheets against Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, their son and Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav, and several others. According to the agency, Group-D appointments were made in the West Central Railway zone based in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, during Yadav’s time as Railway Minister.
The investigation alleges that candidates who received railway jobs transferred land parcels as gifts or through undervalued deals in the names of Yadav’s family members or associates. The CBI claims these transactions were illegal and directly linked to the recruitment process.
The case remains politically significant and is closely watched as legal proceedings move forward.