Key Points:
- Rouse Avenue Court framed charges against 40 people including entire Lalu Yadav family
- Court accepted CBI allegations that Lalu family acted as “criminal syndicate” in widespread conspiracy
- Scam allegedly occurred between 2004-2009 when Lalu Yadav was Railway Minister
- Land was transferred to Lalu family before jobs were given, mostly through gift deeds
- Close associate Bhola Yadav allegedly approached villagers offering jobs in exchange for land transfers
- Misa Bharti and Tej Pratap attended Friday hearing where charges were framed
- Lalu Yadav can appeal the framing of charges in higher courts before trial begins
- CBI informed court that 5 of 103 accused named in charge sheet have died
The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi today pronounced its verdict on framing charges against Lalu Yadav and his family in the CBI case related to the land-for-jobs scam. Charges have been framed against 40 people in this case, including Lalu Yadav, his wife Rabri Yadav, their two sons Tejashwi and Tej Pratap Yadav, and daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav .
The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi has framed charges against RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav, and other accused in the CBI case related to the land-for-jobs scam. The court stated that Lalu Yadav and his family acted like a criminal syndicate and a widespread conspiracy was hatched by them .
Misa Bharti and son Tej Pratap attend the hearing
On Friday, Lalu Yadav’s eldest daughter Misa Bharti and son Tej Pratap arrived at the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi, where the hearing of the case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took place. Based on the evidence, the court accepted that the allegations against Lalu Yadav are true, and now the trial against him in this case will begin. A final decision on the matter will be pronounced after the trial. Meanwhile, Lalu Yadav can appeal against the lower court’s decision in a higher court .
Investigation against the accused named in the charge sheet
In the previous hearing, the CBI presented a verification report to the court, stating that 5 of the 103 accused named in the charge sheet have died. The CBI has filed a charge sheet against Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, their son and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, and others .
Conspiracy hatched between 2004 and 2009
The CBI claims that this conspiracy was hatched between 2004 and 2009 when Lalu Yadav was the Railway Minister. According to the investigating agency, in almost all cases, the land was transferred even before the jobs were given, and in most cases, gift deeds were prepared. The CBI also stated that when Lalu Yadav was the Railway Minister, his close associate Bhola Yadav went to the village and told people that if they wanted to get jobs for their relatives, they should transfer their land to the Lalu family. Those who transferred their land to the Lalu family claimed that they were paid in cash in return .
Family members named in chargesheet
The CBI has not only named Lalu and his sons as accused in this case, but also his daughters. Specifically, MP Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav have also been named in the chargesheet. It is alleged that land was transferred to them as well at a nominal price . The court has now set the stage for trial after finding sufficient evidence to proceed against the Yadav family members who allegedly conspired to misuse Lalu’s position as Railway Minister for illegal land acquisitions.
