Land for Job Scam: Delhi Court summons Lalu Yadav, Tejashwi, takes cognizance on CBI chargesheet

Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on Friday issued summons to former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and others

New Delhi: The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on Friday issued summons to former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and others accused in relation to a fresh chargesheet in alleged Land for Job Scam case.

The Special Judge Geetanjali Goel took cognizance of a fresh chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and issued summons against all accused.

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According to the CBI, this is the second chargesheet in the designated court against 17 accused including the then Union Minister of Railways, his wife, son, then GM of West Central Railways(WCR), then two CPOs of WCR, private persons, private company, etc. in a case related to Land for Job Scam.

Recently, the CBI has filed a chargesheet in the alleged Land for Job scam case against Lalu Prasad Yadav including his son Tejashwi Yadav and others.

CBI had registered a case on May 18, 2022, against Lalu Yadav and others including his wife, two daughters, unknown Public servants and private persons.

It was alleged that the then Union Minister of Railways during the period 2004-2009 had obtained pecuniary advantages in the form of transfer of landed property in the name of his family members etc. in lieu of appointment of Substitutes in Group ‘D’ Post in different Zones of Railways.

It was further alleged that in lieu thereof the substitutes, who were residents of Patna themselves or through their family members sold & gifted their land situated at Patna in favour of the family members of said Minister and a private company controlled by his family members, which was also involved in transfer of such immovable properties in the name of said family members.

It was also alleged that no advertisement or any public notice was issued for such appointments of substitutes in Zonal Railways, yet the appointees who were residents of Patna were appointed as substitutes in different Zonal Railways located at Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur and Hazipur.

Searches were earlier conducted at multiple places including in Delhi & Bihar etc, said CBI.

“During the investigation, it was found that then Union Minister of Railways with intent to acquire the land parcels situated at the places where his family was already owning land parcels or the places which were already connected to him entered into conspiracy with associates and family members and allegedly derived a design to grab the land of various land owners by offering /providing group D employment in Railways,” CBI said.

The accused had allegedly collected applications and documents of such candidates through associates and then sent those to West Central Railway for processing and providing jobs in Railways and the General Managers of West Central Railways under the influence /control of the accused accorded approval for engagement of candidates, the CBI further said.

The CBI said that for providing jobs in Railways, they allegedly devised an indirect way wherein the candidates were engaged firstly as substitutes and subsequently, were regularized.

“A hard disk containing lists of candidates (who were engaged) was also recovered during searches. It was further alleged that a land parcel was purchased in the name of a private company at Rs.10.83 Lakh in 2007 and subsequently, the said land along with some other land parcels purchased by the said company, were brought into the ownership/control of his wife and son of then Union Minister of Railways by way of transfer of shares at Rs. One Lakh only,” the CBI said.

The CBI further said that at the time of transfer, the company was allegedly owning land parcels purchased at a total cost of Rs 1.77 crore (approx) and it was transferred for a mere Rs.1 Lakh (approx) only, however, the market value of the lands was much more.
Earlier, a chargesheet was filed on October 7, 2022 against 16 accused. The investigation is continuing, CBI informed the Court.