Land-for-job scam: CBI files chargesheet against Bihar Dy CM Tejaswi Yadav, Lalu, Rabri

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday filed a chargesheet in an alleged land-for-jobs scam case involving former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav and others. The chargesheet has been filed before Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court. However, no date for the hearing on this chargesheet has been provided yet. The case is already scheduled for a hearing on July 12.

Lalu Prasad Yadav is accused of giving employment in the railways in return for land parcels gifted or sold at cheap rates to his family and its associates. He served as Minister of Railways from May 2004 to May 2009.

In October last year, the central agency had filed a chargesheet against Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, and 14 others. In its chargesheet, the agency alleged that irregular and illegal appointments of candidates were made in Central Railways, violating the norms, guidelines, and procedures of railways.

The chargesheet said that as a quid-pro-quo, selected candidates, directly or through immediate relatives or family members, sold land to family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav, who was the then Railway minister. The land was sold at a discounted rate of one-fourth to one-fifth of the prevailing market rate.

During 2007-2008, Lalu Prasad Yadav, the then railway minister, with the intent to buy and acquire land situated in Patna's Vill- Mahuabagh and Vill-Kunjwa had allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy with his wife Rabri Devi, daughter Misha Bharati, officers of central Railways and several others, the chargesheet said. The parcel of land was situated adjacent to the land parcels already owned by Lalu Yadav’s family members.

According to the chargesheet, all the candidates after their engagement as substitutes were subsequently regularised. In lieu of getting them appointed in railways, Lalu Prasad Yadav got the lands transferred owned by candidates and their family members in the names of his wife Rabri Devi and daughter Misha Bharti for sale consideration, which was much less than the prevailing circle rates as well as the prevailing market rates, the agency said.

(With inputs from Munish Chandra Pandey)