Land for job scam case: Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi, Misa Bharti get bail
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Wednesday granted bail to former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, their daughter, RJD MP Misa Bharti, and other accused in the "land for job" scam case. The court noted that the CBI filed the chargesheet without arrest. It also directed every accused to furnish a Rs 50,000 personal bail bond and a like amount surety.
Mr Yadav, 74, who underwent a kidney transplant recently, reached the Rouse Avenue court around 10 am in a wheelchair. However, the proceedings were delayed. The family appeared before special judge Geetanjali Goel around 11 am.
The case relates to alleged appointments made in the railways in return for land parcels gifted or sold to Mr Yadav's family when he was the railway minister between 2004 and 2009.
The Central probe agency in its chargesheet, alleged that irregular appointments were made in the railways, violating laid-down norms and procedures of the Indian Railways for recruitment. As a quid pro quo, it alleged, the candidates directly or through their immediate relatives and family members sold land to Mr Yadav's family members at highly discounted rates, up to one-fifth of the prevailing market rates.
On February 27, the special judge issued summons to the accused persons, including Mr Yadav, his wife and daughter and directed them to appear before the court on March 15.
Taking cognisance of the said offences, the judge noted that the chargesheet was filed without arrest with respect to the accused persons except one, who is on bail at present.
In July 2022, the CBI arrested Bhola Yadav in the case, who used to be the officer on special duty to Mr Yadav when he was the railway minister. The chargesheet was filed on October 10 last year for offences of criminal conspiracy and corruption against 16 accused persons.
The final report also named former general manager of the Central Railway Sowmya Raghavan, former CPO Indian Railways Kamal Deep Mainrai, seven aspirants appointed as substitutes and four private individuals.
According to the chargesheet, the case was registered pursuant to the outcome of a preliminary enquiry against Mr Yadav and others.
It was alleged in the FIR that some persons, although residents of Patna in Bihar, were appointed as substitutes in Group-D posts during the period 2004–2009 in different zones of the railways located in Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur and Hajipur. In lieu thereof, the individuals themselves or their family members transferred their land in the name of family members of Mr Yadav and a company, AK Infosystems Private Limited, which was subsequently taken over by the family members of Mr Yadav.
It was further alleged that about 1,05,292 square feet of land in Patna was acquired by the family members of Mr Yadav from those persons through five sale deeds and two gift deeds and in most of the sale deeds, payment to the sellers was mentioned to be paid in cash.
The value of the land as per the existing circle rate was about Rs. 4.39 crores, the CBI alleged.
The land was directly purchased by the family members of Mr Yadav from the sellers at a rate lower than the prevalent circle rate, the CBI said, adding that the prevalent market value of the land was much higher than the circle rate.
It was alleged that the due procedure and guidelines issued by the railways authority for the appointment of substitutes were not followed. Later, their services had also been regularised.
