Land for Job Scam: Sanctions against Lalu Prasad Yadav obtained, informs CBI

New Delhi [India]: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday informed Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court that the sanctions against former Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav have been obtained from the Home Ministry in relation to fresh chargesheet in the alleged Land for Job Scam case.

The CBI through Special Public Prosecutor Advocate DP Singh informed Special Judge Geetanjali Goel that the sanctions against Lalu Prasad have been obtained from the Home Ministry but the sanctions against the three former railway officials are yet to be received.

CBI further submitted that the remaining sanctions are expected to be received within a week. Noting the submissions, the Court listed the matter for further hearing on September 21

On the last date of the hearing, CBI had sought time to obtain the sanction from the competent authorities to prosecute the former Railway Minister and three former Railways officials in the alleged Land for Job scam case.

Recently, the CBI has filed a chargesheet in Land for Job alleged scam case against Lalu Prasad including Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and others.

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

CBI had registered a case on May 18 2022 against the then Union Minister of Railways and 15 others including his wife, 2 daughters & unknown Public servants and private persons.

It was alleged that the 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 the investigation, it was found that the then Union Minister of Railways with intent to acquire the land parcels situated at the places where his family already owned land parcels or the places that 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 the accused accorded approval for the 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 in 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 allegedly owned land parcels purchased at a total cost of Rs 1.77 crore (approx) and it was transferred for a mere Rs 1 Lakh (approx) only, however, the market value of the lands was much more.

Earlier, a chargesheet was filed on  October 7, 2022, against 16 accused. The investigation is continuing, CBI informed the Court