New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on July 1 concluded its arguments on framing of charges in the alleged land-for-jobs scam involving former CM and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife and ex CM Rabri Devi and other co-accused named in the charge sheet.
During the hearing, the CBI referred to Lalu Yadav as the “kingpin” of the alleged conspiracy. The agency has relied upon statements from two approvers, who claimed they were pressured by the RJD chief to appoint certain candidates whose names were finalized by his office.
The agency also presented testimonies from several prosecution witnesses who confirmed that a list of selected applicants was handed over by Lalu’s then private secretary during a conference of general managers in the Railway Department, where Lalu served as Union Railway Minister.
In addition, the agency argued that Rabri Devi, their daughter and MP Misa Bharti, and sons MLA Tejashwi and Tej Pratap were direct beneficiaries of land parcels transferred by job seekers. These transfers, the CBI alleged, were made in exchange for appointments made illegally within the railway department at Lalu Prasad Yadav and co-accused behest.
With the CBI concluding its arguments in the case, the next stage in the case will see the accused present their counter arguments against the framing of charges after which the court is expected to reserve its order before taking a call on whether to formally begin the trial.
The CBI has so far named a total of 78 individuals in its chargesheets, including the former Union Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Earlier the agency obtained necessary sanction to prosecute Lalu Yadav for his alleged role in the case. The CBI filed two separate chargesheets detailing irregular appointments in the Central and Western Railway zones followed by a final and composite chargesheet in June last year, encompassing additional railway zones and naming Lalu, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav, Hema Yadav, former OSD Bhola Yadav, and others.
According to the composite chargesheet, Lalu and others were accused of influencing recruitment processes in exchange for land and other benefits. The CBI alleged that Lalu, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi Yadav were the “ultimate beneficiaries” of the scheme. It also claimed that the conspiracy extended beyond land-for-job exchanges to include cash payments and other political incentives. The agency claimed that Yadav, in his capacity as railway minister not only influenced the officials of West Central Railway zone but also exerted pressure on them.
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