Former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife, former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, and 14 other people are expected to appear before a Delhi court today in relation to an alleged land-for-job fraud, days after many searches and interrogations.
The lawsuit concerns alleged appointments made in the railroads in exchange for property parcels given to or purchased by Prasad’s family when he served as railway minister from 2004 to 2009.
In its charge sheet, the CBI said that irregular appointments had been made in the railroads, in violation of the standards and guidelines established by the Indian Railways for hiring.
It was suspected that the candidates gave land at deeply reduced prices—up to one-fifth of the going market rates—to the family members of RJD leader Prasad, the then-railroad minister, as payment for their support.
What Is Said On The Chargesheet
The CBI said in its charge sheet that Lalu Yadav, his wife, daughter, and other railway employees engaged in a criminal conspiracy to purchase a plot of property next to another plot of land already held by his family.
> As a result of this criminal conspiracy, applicants were improperly appointed, going against Railways’ hiring policies.
Lalu Yadav is accused of dishonestly influencing railway officials while serving as the railway minister to improperly select landowners and members of their families, according to the CBI chargesheet.
The candidates that were hired as stand-ins subsequently became regulars. In exchange for this position, Lalu Prasad obtained the transfer of the aforementioned lands in the names of Rabri Devi and Misha Bharti at prices much less than circle and market values.
> Instead of the transfer happening at throwaway prices, nine applicants were hired by the railroads in accordance with the sellers’ desires.
Charged with criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, forgery for cheating, and violations of several PC Act provisions are Lalu Prasad Yadav, Misa Bharati, and Rabri Devi.
In February, a special judge issued summonses.
On February 27, special judge Geetanjali Goel summoned the defendants, including Prasad’s daughter Misa Bharti, and ordered them to appear in court on March 15.
“A review of the charge sheet and the materials in the file suggests that the commission of offenses under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy), read with Sections 420 (cheating), Sections 467 (forgery of valuable securities, wills, etc.), Sections 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), and Sections 471 (using forged document as genuine) of the IPC, as well as various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, have taken place. Hence, the aforementioned offenses are recognized, the court had said.
With the exception of one accused individual who is now out on bail, the charge sheet was submitted without any of the accused being placed under arrest, the court had remarked.
Lalu’s OSD is detained by CBI
Bhola Yadav, who had served as Lalu Prasad’s officer on special duty (OSD) while the latter was the railway minister, was detained by the CBI in connection with the case in July 2022.
16 defendants were named in the charge sheet, which was submitted on October 10 of last year on charges of criminal conspiracy and corruption.
A number of Railway Authorities Are Mentioned in the Final Report
In addition, the final report included four private people, Sowmya Raghavan, a former general manager of Central Railway, and Kamal Deep Mainrai, a former CPO of Railways.
The charge sheet states that the complaint was filed after a preliminary investigation into Lalu Prasad and others’ conduct.
The FIR alleged that some individuals, despite being Patna, Bihar, residents, were appointed as replacements in Group-D posts between 2004 and 2009 in various railway zones in Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur, and Hajipur. In exchange, the individuals or their family members allegedly transferred their land in the names of Prasad’s relatives and a business called AK Infosystems Private Limited, which was subsequently acquired by the fa
The Fraud
Moreover, it was claimed that the family of Prasad purchased a plot of land in Patna of around 1,05,292 square feet from those individuals via five sale documents and two gift deeds. The majority of the sale papers stated that the sellers would get payment in cash.
According to the CBI, the land was worth approximately Rs 4.39 crore at current circle rates.
According to the CBI, the land was directly acquired by Prasad’s family from the sellers for a price that was less than the going circle rate, despite the fact that the going market value of the property was far greater.
The proper method and instructions provided by the railway administration for the appointment of replacements were allegedly not followed, and later on, their services had also been regularized.
