Lalu Yadav, Wife Rabri Devi To Appear Before Delhi Court In Land-For-Jobs Scam Case Today

The case relates to alleged appointments made in the railways in return for land parcels gifted or sold to Prasad's family when he was the minister of railways between 2004 and 2009.

Earlier the RJD leader, Rabri and Misa Bharti were granted bail and directed every accused to furnish Rs 50,000 personal bail bond.

Source : PTI

New Delhi: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former railway minister Lalu Prasad, his wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and 14 others are expected to appear before New Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday in connection with a case related to the alleged land-for-job scam.

The case relates to alleged appointments made in the railways in return for land parcels gifted or sold to Prasad's family when he was the minister of railways between 2004 and 2009.

Earlier this month the three were granted bail and directed every accused to furnish Rs 50,000 personal bail bond.

The court had on February 27 issued a summons to them in the case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered a case against Lalu Yadav on May 18 last year. In its charge sheet, the CBI said that irregular appointments had been made in the Railways, in violation of the standards and guidelines established by the Indian Railways for hiring. Lalu Yadav had executed this scam along with wife Rabri, daughter Misa and railway officials.

Lalu Prasad obtained land in the name of his family members and received pecuniary benefits from the candidates in exchange for jobs in Group D posts in various zones of the Railways.  It is alleged that the candidates gave Lalu Prasad's family members land at extremely reduced prices – up to one-fifth of the going market rates – directly or through their close relatives and family members.

On March 6, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team interrogated Rabri Devi at Lalu's Patna residence. Thereafter, on March 10, Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided 24 locations including houses of Lalu Prasad Yadav's relatives in connection with the land for jobs scam.

“ED conducted searches at 24 locations in the Railways Land for Job Scam, resulting in recovery of unaccounted cash of Rs 1 Crore, foreign currency including USD 1900, 540 gms gold bullion and more than 1.5 kg of gold jewellery”, the agency had tweeted.

Several persons residing in Patna themselves or through their family members had sold their land in Patna in favour of Prasad's family members and a private company controlled by his family was also involved in the transfer of such immovable properties.

It has also been alleged that advertisement or any public notice was not issued for recruitment in Railways.