Land-for-jobs scam: Lalu, Rabri to face trial

A Delhi court on Monday formally framed charges against former Railways minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi in the alleged land-for-jobs scam. Special Judge Vishal Gogne said, the charge has been framed against accused Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi to which they have pleaded not guilty and claimed trial. The matter has been listed on 27th of this month for further proceedings. The court had ordered framing charges against Lalu Prasad, his family members and others last month. It has framed charges in the case against 41 accused persons and discharged 52 others. Out of the 103 accused named in the CBI’s chargesheet, five have died.
In his 346-page order, Judge Gogne had said, “The court finds, on the touchstone of grave suspicion, that there existed an overarching criminal conspiracy, mentored by Lalu Prasad Yadav, towards using public employment as a bargaining chip for receiving immovable properties through his wife Rabri Devi, daughters Misha Bharti and Hema Yadav, as well as sons Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav from willing job seekers.” The order had cited the CBI’s chargesheet and said there was a strong indication that the close associates of Lalu Prasad, namely Bhola Yadav, R K Mahajan and P C Gupta, probably facilitated, as co-conspirators, the acquisition of these lands in lieu of jobs provided to the nominees of the former railway minister in Group D posts across various railway zones in the country.
On January 29, the judge granted liberty to Lalu Prasad, wife Rabri Devi, sons Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, and some others to appear in person between February 1 and 28 for formal framing of charges.