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President grants sanction to prosecute Lalu Prasad Yadav in land-for-jobs scam
The President has mandated that Lalu Prasad Yadav be prosecuted for his alleged involvement in a land-for-jobs PMLA case.
President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday granted sanction to prosecute RJD chief and former Union railways minister Lalu Prasad in the money laundering case linked to the alleged railways land-for-jobs scam.
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The President has mandated that Lalu Prasad Yadav be prosecuted under section 197(1) of the Criminal Penal Code (Section 218 of BNSS, 2023).
A special PMLA court in Delhi has taken cognisance of chargesheets filed against Lalu Prasad Yadav and his aides in the matter.
What is the land-for-jobs case?
The Central Bureau of Investigation in 2022 had filed an FIR against RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav for his alleged involvement in corrupt practices during his tenure as the Indian Railways minister.
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Yadav was accused of offering jobs to Group D candidates for the Indian Railways during 2004-2009, in exchange for them transferring parcels of land as bribes.
These land parcels were directly or indirectly registered in the name of the family members of Lalu Prasad.
After the CBI filed three chargesheets in the case, the ED also took cognisance and launched a probe.
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The Enforcement Directorate had launched an investigation into the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and had filed a chargesheet against the former Bihar CM, his son Tejashwi Yadav and other family members in August 2024.
Another chargesheet was also filed against Yadav's wife Rabri Devi, daughter Hema Yadav, other family members and his associate Amit Katyal in January 2024. Two associated companies - AK Infosystems Private Limited and A B Exports Pvt Ltd were also mentioned in relation to the case.
In March this year, Yadav and members of his family were questioned by the ED for nearly four hours in the matter.
His on and former deputy CM of Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav told news agency PTI, "The more we are harassed, the stronger we shall become. Of course, the case is politically motivated. Had I not been in politics, I would not have been dragged into this. I had predicted after the Delhi assembly elections that now the agencies will turn their gaze towards Bihar."
