Delhi court grants bail to Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi and others in land-for-job scam case

Granting relief to the accused on a personal bond of Rs 50,000, the court posted the matter for the next hearing on October 16.

Meanwhile, the court has directed CBI to serve a chargesheet copy to all accused in the matter.

Earlier, the RJD chief along with his wife Rabri Devi and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav arrived at Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court.

Lalu Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav and Rabri Devi appeared before the Court of Special Judge Geetanjali Goel Court summons.

On September 22, a Delhi court issued summons to Bihar deputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav, former Union railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, ex-chief minister Rabri Devi and 14 other accused in the alleged land-for-job scam, said officials familiar with the matter.

Moreover, RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha and RJD MP Misa Bharti also arrived at Rouse Avenue Court in connection with the alleged land-for-jobs scam case.

The Special Judge Geetanjali Goel while taking cognizance of a fresh charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on July 3, passed the order issuing summons to all the accused asking them to appear before it on October 4, officials said.

On Tuesday, RJD chief Lalu Yadav reacted over his hearing and said that hearings keep happening and he is not scared of it as he has not done anything wrong.

"Hearings keep happening. Have we done anything that we need to be scared about?" RJD chief said while speaking to reporters.

According to the CBI, this is the second 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 registered a case on May 18, 2022, against Lalu Yadav and others including his wife, two daughters, 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.

The accused had allegedly collected applications and documents of such candidates through associates and then sent those to West Central Railway for processing and providing jobs in Railways and the General Managers of West Central Railways under the influence /control of the accused accorded approval for engagement of candidates, the CBI further said.

The CBI said that for providing jobs in Railways, they allegedly devised an indirect way wherein the candidates were engaged firstly as substitutes and subsequently, were regularized.

Earlier, a chargesheet was filed on October 7, 2022 against 16 accused. The investigation is continuing, CBI informed the Court. (ANI)