The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has requested additional time to respond to applications from Lalu Prasad Yadav and others who are seeking access to documents related to the alleged land-for-jobs case. The CBI’s counsel stated that the previous investigating officer has been transferred, necessitating the need for more time. In response to this, CBI Special Judge Vivek Gogne has scheduled the matter for January 15 and instructed both investigating officers to appear before the court. The court emphasized the need for expeditious proceedings due to a directive from the Delhi High Court and declared that no further adjournments would be granted.
On December 20, 2023, the Rouse Avenue court had sought a response from the CBI regarding an application filed by accused individuals, including Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, and Tejaswi Yadav, seeking access to documents filed along with the charge sheet in the land-for-jobs scam. Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, and Tejaswi Yadav are accused in this case, which is currently in the document scrutiny stage following the filing of the charge sheet.
On October 4, the court granted bail to former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, Rabri Devi, and others in relation to a new chargesheet in an alleged land-for-job scam case. The CBI, presenting this as the second chargesheet in the Designated Court, outlined allegations against 17 individuals, including the former Union Minister of Railways, his family members, and others, related to the land-for-job scam.
The CBI initiated a case on May 18, 2022, against the former Union Minister of Railways and others, accusing them of obtaining pecuniary advantages through the transfer of landed property in exchange for appointments in Group “D” posts in different Railway Zones. The investigation revealed a scheme where the minister conspired with associates and family members to acquire land parcels by offering railway employment to individuals who subsequently sold or gifted their land to the minister’s family. The CBI alleges irregularities in the appointment process, with appointees from Patna being selected for positions in different Railways without public notices.
During searches conducted in Delhi and Bihar, the CBI found evidence supporting these allegations. The investigation further uncovered a scheme where candidates were initially engaged as substitutes and later regularized, all orchestrated to facilitate the acquisition of land. The accused allegedly purchased land parcels through a private company at a significantly lower cost than the market value, transferring them to the minister’s wife and son. The court was informed that an earlier chargesheet had been filed on October 7, 2022, against 16 accused, and the investigation is ongoing.