Delhi High Court refuses to quash FIR in land-for-jobs case against Lalu Prasad Yadav
PTC Web Desk: In a major setback to RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to quash the CBI FIR against him in the alleged land-for-jobs scam. This has dealt a major blow to the former railway minister.
Lalu Prasad Yadav's plea was dismissed by Justice Ravinder Dudeja, who termed it “devoid of merit”. The petition also urged to set aside three chargesheets filed by the CBI between 2022 and 2024, along with related court orders. A detailed judgment is yet to be released.
In the plea, Lalu Prasad Yadav argued that the FIR and the probe were legally flawed. He claimed that the CBI did not obtain mandatory sanction under the Prevention of Corruption Act. However, the Delhi High Court rejected this argument and said the agency had secured the required approval and the probe was valid.
Notably, the CBI had registered an FIR naming Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, their two daughters and several unidentified public officials and private individuals on May 18, 2022. At present, all accused are out on bail.
The alleged land-for-jobs scam is linked to Group D appointments in the West Central Zone of Indian Railways in Jabalpur during Yadav’s tenure as railway minister between 2004 and 2009. Investigators say jobs were given in return for land parcels, which were transferred by candidates or their families to Yadav’s relatives or close associates.
- With inputs from agencies
