Court Orders Quick Sanction for Prosecution in Land for Job Case

The Rouse Avenue Court in New Delhi has instructed the competent authority to grant prosecution sanction within a week for public servants involved in a CBI case related to the Land for Job scam. Special Judge Vishal Gogne issued this directive after learning from the CBI that the sanction was pending with the railway board. The CBI’s special public prosecutor, DP Singh, mentioned that it might take two more weeks to obtain the sanction.

The court emphasized the need to expedite the process, as three charge sheets and two supplementary charge sheets have already been filed. The next hearing is scheduled for November 26. The CBI had previously filed a sanction to prosecute former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, but sanctions for over 30 other accused are still awaited.

The case involves allegations that Lalu Prasad Yadav, during his tenure as Union Minister of Railways from 2004 to 2009, received land in exchange for appointing individuals to Group “D” posts in various railway zones. The CBI claims that no public notices were issued for these appointments, and the land was transferred to Yadav’s family members through a private company.

In October 2023, the court granted bail to Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and son Tejashwi Yadav, among others, in connection with a fresh charge sheet in the case. The CBI’s investigation revealed that the accused allegedly conspired to acquire land by offering railway jobs, with a hard disk containing candidate lists recovered during searches.