On July 18, the Supreme Court of India refused to stop the trial court proceedings against Lalu Prasad Yadav, the leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), in the ongoing land-for-jobs case. However, the court allowed him not to appear in person during the hearings for now.
The case comes at a sensitive political time, with Bihar preparing for assembly elections later this year.
A bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and N. Kotiswa Singh said that the Delhi High Court should quickly hear Lalu Yadav’s plea to cancel the FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The next hearing in the Delhi High Court is scheduled for August 12.
Lalu Yadav had earlier asked the Delhi High Court to cancel the FIR and three charge sheets filed against him in 2022, 2023, and 2024. He argued that the case is unfair due to a 14-year delay, as the CBI had earlier done an inquiry and even submitted a closure report, but later filed the FIR in 2022.
What Is the Land-for-Jobs Case?
The case dates back to 2004 to 2009, when Lalu Yadav was the Railway Minister. It is alleged that Group D jobs in Indian Railways were given to people in return for land parcels that were later transferred to his family members or close associates.
The CBI says that senior railway officials were pressured to speed up the hiring process for selected candidates. It also claims that fake school certificates and mark sheets were used to get these jobs. In one case, a school was said to exist only on paper, just to produce these fake documents.
The case involves Lalu Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, two daughters, unnamed officials, and private individuals.
Despite Lalu Yadav’s appeal, the Supreme Court’s decision means that the trial will go on, although he is not required to appear personally. As the Bihar elections approach, the case is likely to stay in the spotlight.
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