Delhi High Court Rejects Lalu Prasad Yadav's Petition in Land-for-Jobs Scam Case

Court Decision on Lalu Prasad Yadav's Petition

The Delhi High Court has turned down a petition from Lalu Prasad Yadav, a leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal and former Chief Minister of Bihar, who sought to halt proceedings in a trial court related to a money-laundering case associated with the alleged land-for-jobs scandal.

Yadav's petition aimed to annul the first information report (FIR) lodged against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2022. He also requested a stay on the trial court's proceedings while his petition was under consideration.

In a ruling delivered on May 29, Justice Ravinder Dudeja stated that there were no substantial grounds to pause the trial court's activities.

“This matter is scheduled for arguments on charges before the special judge,” the ruling noted. “Despite the ongoing petition, the petitioner is free to present all his arguments in the trial court during the charge consideration phase.”

Dudeja emphasized that the trial proceedings would provide Yadav with an additional chance to present his case and have it adjudicated.

During earlier proceedings, Yadav's attorney, Kapil Sibal, informed the High Court that the CBI failed to secure the necessary prosecution sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act before filing the FIR.

This section mandates that no police investigation into alleged offenses by public servants can occur without prior approval from the relevant authority.

Sibal further pointed out that the alleged offenses took place between 2004 and 2009, yet the FIR was only filed in 2022, marking a delay of nearly 14 years.

He also mentioned that the case was set for charge framing at the Rouse Avenue Courts on June 2, and if charges were established, the current petition would become irrelevant.

In contrast, Senior Public Prosecutor DP Singh informed the High Court that the applicability of Section 17A is currently being reviewed by a larger bench of the Supreme Court.

Singh added that Yadav could present similar arguments in the trial court during the charge framing stage.

The CBI has implicated 78 individuals in this case, including 30 government officials. The allegations suggest that between 2004 and 2009, while Yadav served as the Union Railway Minister, land was unlawfully acquired at reduced rates in exchange for Group-D job placements within the Indian Railways.

The agency claims that land parcels were transferred to Yadav's family members, including his wife Rabri Devi and daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, at prices significantly lower than the market value.