Court asks for CBI reply on Lalu's plea seeking supply of documents

The Rouse Avenue court on Wednesday sought a reply from CBI on application moved by accused persons including Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi and Tejaswi Yadav, seeking supply of documents filed along with the charge sheet.

Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi and Tejaswi Yadav are arraigned as accused in Land for Job Scam.

Special judge Vishal Gogne asked the CBI to file a reply on pleas of eight accused seeking supply of deficient documents.

The next date of hearing is January 6, 2024.

Bihar Deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav has moved an application seeking permission to travel to Australia next month. He also sought a permission for renewal of his passport. The Court is likely to hear the application on December 22.

Tejaswi's counsel submitted that he is scheduled to travel to Australia from January 6.

This case at the stage of scrutiny of documents after filing of charge sheet.

On October 4, the court had granted bail to former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, Rabri Devi and others in in relation to fresh Chargesheet in alleged Land for Job Scam case.

According to the CBI, this is the 2nd chargesheet in the Designated Court against 17 accused including 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

The CBI filed a chargesheet in Land for Job alleged scam case against former Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav including Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and others .

CBI had registered a case on 18.05.2022 against then Union Minister of Railways and others including his wife, two daughters and unknown Public servants and Private persons.

It is alleged that 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 & Bihar etc, said CBI.

During investigation, it was found that 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 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.

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 accused accorded approval for engagement of candidates.

For providing jobs in Railways, they allegedly devised an indirect way wherein the candidates were engaged firstly as Substitutes and subsequently, were regularized. A hard disk containing lists of candidates (who were engaged) was also recovered during searches. It was further alleged that a land parcel was purchased in the name of a private company at Rs.10.83 Lakh during 2007 and subsequently, the said land along with some other land parcels purchased by the said company, were brought into the ownership / control of his wife & son of then Union Minister of Railways by way of transfer of shares at Rs.One Lakh only. At the time of transfer, the company was allegedly owning land parcels purchased at a total cost of Rs1.77 crore(approx) and it was transferred for a mere Rs.1 Lakh(approx) only, however, the market value of the lands were much more.

Earlier, a chargesheet was filed on 07.10.2022 against 16 accused. Investigation is continuing, CBI informed the Court.