President Approves Prosecution Of Lalu Yadav In Railways Land-For-Jobs Scam
The land transfers were offered as bribes by the job seekers or their family members in return for railway employment
President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday granted sanction to prosecute RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged land-for-jobs scam in Indian Railways.
The alleged scam took place during Yadav’s tenure as Union Railway Minister and involved accepting land from unemployed youths in exchange for government jobs.
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Officials said the President’s approval was given as required under Section 197(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), now listed as Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
In its chargesheet filed last August, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had named 76-year-old former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his son and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, along with other family members.
Earlier, in January 2024, the ED had filed its first chargesheet in the case against Amit Katyal, an alleged associate of the Prasad family, along with Lalu’s wife and former Bihar CM Rabri Devi, MP daughter Misa Bharti, daughter Hema Yadav, and two companies—A K Infosystems Private Limited and A B Exports Pvt. Ltd.
A special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Delhi has taken cognisance of both prosecution complaints.
What Is Land-for-Jobs Scam?
The case stems from a CBI FIR which alleges that Lalu Prasad Yadav, as Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009 during the UPA government, was involved in corruption while appointing Group D substitute staff in Indian Railways.
According to the FIR, candidates or their families were allegedly asked to transfer land as a bribe in exchange for jobs. These land parcels were then registered—either directly or indirectly—in the names of Lalu Yadav’s family members.
The CBI has also filed three chargesheets in the matter.
(With inputs from PTI)
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