Lalu Prasad Yadav Moves Supreme Court To Stay Trial Court Proceeding In Land-For-Jobs Scam Case

Former Bihar Chief Minister and RJD founder Lalu Prasad Yadav has moved the Supreme Court against an Order dismissing his plea seeking a stay on the Trial Court proceedings in a case related to land-for-jobs scam.

On May 29, the Delhi High Court said that there were no compelling reason to stay the proceedings against RJD leader.

The two-Judge Bench comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh are likely to hear the matter on July 18.

The High Court had issued notice to the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) on Yadav's plea for quashing of the CBI FIR and posted the hearing on August 12. The case is related to Group D appointments made in the West Central Zone of the Indian Railways based in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, during Lalu Prasad's tenure as the Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009, allegedly in return for land parcels gifted or transferred by the recruits in the name of the RJD leader's family or associates.

In his Petition before the High Court, RJD leader sought the quashing of the FIR and three chargesheets filed in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and the subsequent Orders of cognisance. The case was registered on May 18, 2022, against Yadav and others, including his wife, two daughters, unidentified public officials and private persons.

Yadav said that the FIR was lodged in 2022, almost a 14-year delay, despite the CBI's initial enquiries and investigations being closed after filing of closure report before the competent court.

The Petitioner argued that he was being made to suffer through an "illegal, motivated investigation" in violation of his fundamental right to a fair investigation. "Both, the initiation of the present enquiries and investigations are non est as both have been initiated without a mandatory approval under Section 17A of the PC Act. Without such approval, any enquiry/inquiry/investigation undertaken would be void ab initio", the plea added.

With PTI Inputs