The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) informed a Delhi court that during Lalu Prasad Yadav’s time as Railway Minister, the Ministry applied undue pressure to expedite the clearance of Group-D job applications. These appointments allegedly involved candidates who had gifted or transferred land to Lalu’s family or close associates, in what is being investigated as the ‘land-for-jobs’ scam.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne is hearing the case, which concerns irregular recruitments in the West Central Railway zone based in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, between 2004 and 2009. These appointments reportedly bypassed standard protocols, with multiple applications approved unusually quickly.
During the hearing, special public prosecutor D.P. Singh highlighted that most applicants were from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in Bihar, for whom a government job would be life-changing. However, Singh pointed out that on certain days, large numbers of applications were processed at “unprecedented speed,” raising suspicion.
“How could so many applications be cleared in bulk almost instantly?” the prosecutor questioned, citing testimonies from approvers who described intense pressure from the Railway Ministry. Many certificates were forged and went unverified, and no proper justification was given for hiring substitutes, Singh added.
According to the CBI’s charge sheet, candidates or their relatives sold land to Lalu Prasad’s family at heavily discounted prices. The family allegedly acquired over 1 lakh square feet of land for ₹26 lakh, while the official circle rate exceeded ₹4.39 crore.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also received the President’s sanction to prosecute Lalu Prasad for alleged money laundering related to the case. The arguments on the charges will continue on Wednesday.
The CBI registered the case on May 18, 2022, naming Lalu Prasad, his wife, two daughters, and several unidentified officials and private persons as accused in the ongoing investigation.
