Breaking: Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi has officially charged Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi in the notorious Land-for-Job corruption case, terming it a grand criminal plot supervised by the ex-Railway Minister himself. The family denies wrongdoing and braces for trial.
Judge Vishal Gogne’s detailed order underscores prima facie proof of Lalu leveraging his 2004-2009 ministry post to barter railway jobs for land acquisitions benefiting kin. Strict personal appearance rules apply, with Misa Bharti allowed video due to health.
The web of deceit allegedly ensnared Rabri, daughters Misa and Hema, sons Tejashwi and Tej Pratap. Candidates from Bihar surrendered valuable plots—often undervalued—in exchange for Group D berths, routed through family-held entities.
Court mercy spared 52 railway insiders, including CPOs, ruling they held no appointment sway nor succumbed to pressure. CBI’s dossiers, from the 2022 FIR onwards, map the timeline: job selections post land gifts, forged valuations, and insider facilitations.
Senior counsel Maninder Singh for Lalu blasted the prosecution as election-eve smears. He furnished sale deeds proving monetary exchanges, no ministerial recommendations, and absent witness links to Lalu. Charges persist on conspiracy, fraud, and graft for Lalu, Rabri, kids, and accomplices.
With two chargesheets and supplements filed against 103 (minus deceased), the case’s January go-ahead now triggers full hearings. Beyond legal battles, it spotlights dynastic dealings in public sector jobs, potentially reshaping Bihar’s power dynamics and reinforcing anti-corruption drives.