The CBI has sought sanction for prosecution against RJD chief Lalu Prasad and other Railways officials in the land-for-jobs scam. The probing agency told a special judge of the Rouse Avenue Court that it would take a month to procure sanction prosecution, which is a must for the trial to proceed against officials of the ranks of joint secretary and above as per the Central Vigilance Act once the chargesheet is filed in a case.
The second chargesheet in the case where former Railways Minister Lalu Prasad is accused of offering jobs in lieu of land, was filed recently in the court. Tejashwi Yadav, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and Lalu’s son, his mother and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, former GM of West Central Railways (WCR), two former CPOs of WCR, are among 17 accused in the case.
Special Judge Geetanjali Goel, after hearing the CBI’s plea, deferred the arguments on taking cognisance of chargesheet to August 8.
In the FIR registered on May 18, 2022, the CBI had charged that Lalu Prasad, serving as Union Minister of Railways from 2004-2009, had allegedly obtained pecuniary advantages by transfering landed property in the name of his family members by offering appointments of ‘Substitutes’ in Group “D” Post in different Zones of Railways.
After getting the substitutes job, they sold or gifted their land situated at and around Patna to Prasad and his family members and a private company controlled by them. The private firm was also allegedly involved in transfer of immovable properties in the name of Prasad’s family members.