Patna/New Delhi, May 31 – In a setback for RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, the Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed his plea seeking the quashing of an FIR and three charge sheets filed in the land-for-jobs scam, ruling that there is no ground to halt proceedings.
The court said Yadav is free to contest the case before the trial court, which is set to begin arguments on framing of charges on June 2.
Yadav’s counsel Kapil Sibal had argued that the CBI failed to obtain prior sanction to prosecute him, making the case invalid. However, the High Court declined to intervene at this stage.
The case relates to the alleged exchange of Group-D railway jobs for land parcels between 2004 and 2009, when Lalu Prasad Yadav was the Railway Minister. The CBI registered an FIR in May 2022 against Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, among others.
A charge sheet was filed in 2024, naming all four as accused in the case, alongside others. The CBI alleges that several individuals were appointed to Group-D positions in the Indian Railways in exchange for land deeds registered in the names of Lalu Yadav’s family members at prices well below market value.
The High Court’s decision clears the way for the trial to proceed.
Read more: Lalu Moves HC to Quash CBI FIR in Land-for-Jobs Case
