Delhi Court Frames Charges Against Lalu Prasad Yadav, Family in Alleged Land-for-Jobs Scam

A Delhi court on Friday observed that RJD chief and former Union railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members “acted as a criminal syndicate” while framing charges against them in the alleged railways land-for-jobs scam, accepting the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) contention of an overarching criminal conspiracy.

Special Judge Vishal Gogne, while passing the order on the framing of charges, said that on the “touchstone of suspicion,” sufficient material existed to indicate a broader conspiracy involving Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members. The court held that the evidence placed on record by the CBI was adequate at this stage to proceed against the accused.

The court framed charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act for alleged corruption, along with other offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). His family members—including his wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, sons Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, and daughter Misa Bharti—have been charged under the IPC for offences relating to cheating and criminal conspiracy.

“The court finds, on the touchstone of suspicion, that there existed an overarching conspiracy on the part of Lalu and his family,” the judge observed, adding that the chargesheet “strongly depicts the acquisition of land in lieu of jobs.” The court further remarked that “Lalu Yadav and his family acted as a criminal syndicate,” underscoring the gravity of the allegations at the stage of framing of charges.

The order was pronounced after the court had reserved its decision on December 19, stating that the order on charges would be delivered at 10.30 am on January 9.

The case stems from a chargesheet filed by the CBI against Lalu Prasad Yadav, his family members, and several others in connection with the alleged land-for-jobs scam. According to the probe agency, appointments to Group-D posts in the West Central Zone of the Indian Railways, headquartered in Jabalpur, were made during Yadav’s tenure as railway minister between 2004 and 2009 in exchange for land parcels.

The CBI has alleged that the selected candidates or their family members transferred or gifted land to Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family members or close associates as quid pro quo for the jobs. The agency further claimed that the appointments were made in violation of prescribed norms and procedures, and that the land transactions involved benami properties, amounting to criminal misconduct and conspiracy.

During the proceedings, the CBI informed the court that out of the 103 accused named in the chargesheet, five had died. Taking note of the material on record, the court discharged 52 accused while framing charges against more than 40 individuals, including Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members.

All the accused have denied the allegations, describing the case as politically motivated. They have maintained that no illegality was involved in the appointments or land transactions.