RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav exploited poor job aspirants, CBI tells court

NEw new delhi The telephone exchange Bureau of investigating (CBI) on tues alleged that former unification minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav exploited job aspirants from underprivileged backgrounds by offering them railway posts in exchange for land parcels in Bihar, which were transferred to him and his family members.CBI’s claims were made during arguments on the framing of charges in the land-for-jobs scam before special judge Vishal Gogne at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court.According to CBI, the alleged irregularities took place between 2004 and 2009, when Prasad served as the Union minister for Railways. During this period, jobs in the Railways were purportedly offered in return for land gifts or sales at nominal prices by candidates or their relatives.CBI registered the case on May 18, 2022, naming Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, sons Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, and daughter Hema Yadav. In addition, over 80 individuals, including public servants and private persons associated with the Ministry of Railways, have been named for allegedly facilitating illegal appointments across various railway zones.Special public prosecutor (SPP) DP Singh, representing CBI, submitted to the court that the candidates were primarily from Bihar and owned land that would be of benefit to Prasad and his family. “We have a clear cash trail. These people were seeking government jobs and were willing to part with their land in return,” Singh said.He also informed the court that several approvers had confirmed there was “enormous pressure from the top” of the Railway Ministry to approve these appointments. Many of the submitted documents, Singh argued, were forged or unverified.Highlighting the irregularities, Singh questioned how so many candidates from a single state could be selected for Group D jobs, all on the same day. “It is a tedious process, yet multiple applications were cleared at lightning speed. There was neither an advertisement nor any emergency justifying such mass hiring,” he said.He also pointed out that the jobs were given as substitutes, a category normally reserved for temporary replacements in the absence of regular employees. “There’s no justification for hiring so many substitutes so quickly,” Singh said.The prosecution is scheduled to continue its arguments on Wednesday.CBI has so far filed three charge sheets in the case. The first was filed on October 7, 2022, summoning 16 accused. A second followed on March 27, 2024, which included Tej Pratap Yadav and summoned 17 more individuals. The third and final charge sheet was submitted on June 7, 2024.In March, the court took cognisance of the third charge sheet and summoned Prasad, his family members, and 78 other accused, including 30 government officials. All were granted bail on a bond of ₹50,000.The trial court, while taking cognisance, observed that land had indeed been transferred to the Prasad family and that there was strong prima facie evidence indicating that railway officials had violated recruitment rules and guidelines to accommodate these candidates.