The Supreme Court on July 18 declined to stay trial court proceedings against Bihar RJD chief Lalu Yadav in the land-for-job case. It also directed the Delhi High Court to expedite the hearing against the former Bihar Chief Minister.
The Supreme Court was hearing a plea by Lalu Yadav seeking to quash criminal proceedings in the land-for-jobs case, linked to his tenure as Railway Minister, and to stay the ongoing trial in a Delhi court.
A bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh directed the Delhi High Court to expedite its hearing on Yadav’s request to quash the CBI FIR. The court also granted Yadav an exemption from appearing before the trial court.
Earlier, on May 29, the Delhi High Court had observed that there was no compelling reason to halt the proceedings.
The High Court issued a notice to the CBI on Lalu Yadav’s plea seeking quashing of the FIR and scheduled the next hearing for August 12.
The alleged scam dates back to the period when Lalu Prasad Yadav served as Railway Minister in the UPA-1 government.
Between 2004 and 2009, several individuals were reportedly appointed to Group D posts across various zones of the Indian Railways. In return, these individuals allegedly transferred land to Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family members from Bihar and A K Infosystems Pvt Ltd, a company said to have benefited from the scheme.
