Land-for-job scam: CBI seeks time to procure prosecution sanctions against Lalu Yadav

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told the Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday that it would take a month to get prosecution sanctions against former Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and specific railway executives in connection with the newly filed chargesheet in the land-for-jobs case.
Taking into consideration the CBI’s arguments, Special Judge Geetanjali Goel postponed the discussion on the point of cognisance till August 8. In a recent chargesheet, the CBI named Lalu Prasad Yadav, the deputy chief minister of Bihar, as well as others, including Tejashwi Yadav, in an alleged land-for-job fraud involving the former union railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.
According to the CBI, this is the 2nd 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
CBI had registered a case on May 18, 2022, against the then Union Minister of Railways and 15 others including his wife, two daughters and 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 and Bihar etc, said CBI.
During the investigation, it was found that the 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 a conspiracy with associates & 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.