'Land-For-Jobs' Case Against Lalu: Delhi Court May Take Chargesheet Cognisance On Feb 25

Special judge Vishal Gogne adjourned the matter on February 25 after hearing CBI's clarifications on certain points.

New Delhi:A Delhi court on Friday reserved for February 25 its order on whether or not to take cognisance of a chargesheet filed in the land-for-jobs case involving former railway minister Lalu Prasad and others. Special judge Vishal Gogne, who was scheduled to decide it on Friday, adjourned the matter on February 25 after hearing CBI's clarifications on certain points.

The CBI said three separate final reports (chargesheets) in the matter required only one trial given the entirety of the allegations reflected in it. As the allegations in the three chargesheets involved the same foundational conspiracy and named a number of common accused and witnesses, the second and third chargesheets were in the nature of supplementary chargesheets, the agency said.

The submissions came in response to a query posed by the court on whether the case would require separate trials. The judge recorded the submission and posted the matter for February 25 for orders on cognisance and further proceedings. The CBI had informed the judge that it had received requisite sanctions from the authorities concerned to prosecute public servant R K Mahajan.

On January 16, the judge said if the sanction against Mahajan was not processed by January 30, the "competent authority shall furnish" an explanation by the next date of hearing. The CBI on November 26, 2024 filed before the court requisite sanctions obtained from authorities concerned to prosecute 30 accused persons in the case, while submitting that sanctions regarding the prosecution of Mahajan were still awaited.

The case relates to Group-D appointments made in the West Central Zone of Railways based in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, during Prasad's tenure as the railway minister between 2004 and 2009 in return for land parcels gifted or transferred by the recruits in the name of the RJD supremo's family or associates, according to officials.

The agency registered the case on May 18, 2022, against Prasad and others, including his wife, two daughters, unidentified public officials and private persons.