Land-for-job case: Misa Bharti, Hema Yadav plead innocence; trial to commence on March 9

Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav pleaded not guilty in the Railways land-for-jobs corruption case. Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi Yadav sought exemptions from personal appearance. Trial will start March 9, with charges of corruption and criminal conspiracy

New Delhi: Daughters of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) President Lalu Prasad Yadav, Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, pleaded their innocence on Thursday in connection with the alleged Railways land-for-jobs corruption case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Deposing before the Special CBI Court at Rouse Avenue, the duo pleaded not guilty to the charges and expressed their willingness to face trial. Meanwhile, Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and their son Tejashwi Yadav appeared before the trial court via video conferencing and sought exemption from personal appearance for the day.

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The Rouse Avenue Court allowed their plea, with Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi citing advancing age, while Tejashwi Yadav sought exemption on medical grounds.

The Special CBI Court, however, directed Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav, and Tej Pratap Yadav to appear in person between February 1 and February 25, with prior intimation to be given at least one day in advance.

It ordered the trial in the land-for-job case to commence from March 9 at the Rouse Avenue Courts.

Earlier this month, Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Court formally framed charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members, holding that a prima facie case of corruption, cheating, and criminal conspiracy was made out against them.

Pronouncing the order, the Special Judge observed that Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members were ‘cooperating as a criminal enterprise’ and part of a broader conspiracy, wherein public employment in the Indian Railways was allegedly exploited as a bargaining chip to obtain immovable properties.

The court held that the Central agency’s chargesheet prima facie shows that close associates of Lalu Prasad Yadav facilitated the acquisition of land in lieu of jobs in the Railways across different parts of the country.

Rejecting the plea seeking discharge, it said that “the plea of Mr Lalu Yadav and his family members to be discharged is completely unwarranted.”

According to the court order, of the 98 surviving accused named in the case, charges have been framed against 46 people, including Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members, while 52 accused have been discharged.

It may be recalled that proceedings against five accused have abated following their deaths. The case pertains to allegations of ‘large-scale corruption’ between 2004 and 2009, when Lalu Prasad was the Union Railway Minister.

According to the CBI, parcels of land were acquired in the names of Lalu’s family members and a company linked to them, often at rates below market value and largely through cash transactions. In return, railway jobs were allegedly provided across various zones. Parallelly, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is probing the alleged money laundering trail linked to land transfers in Patna.