Land For Job Scam: Delhi Court Reserves Order On ED's Chargesheet Against Lalu Prasad

Special Judge Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Court fixed June 3 as the date for pronouncement of the order.

The supplementary chargesheet was filed after receiving prosecution sanction from the President of India through the Union Home Ministry, granting approval to prosecute Lalu Prasad Yadav under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

Special Public Prosecutors Manish Jain and Snehal appeared for the ED, while Advocate Akhilesh Singh Rawat represented Lalu Prasad Yadav.

An application was moved on May 14 to formally place the prosecution sanction on record.

The ED had initially filed the first supplementary chargesheet on August 6, 2024, against Lalu Prasad Yadav, his son and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, and others, in the alleged land-for-job scam. However, cognisance of the chargesheet against Lalu Prasad could not be taken pending sanction for prosecution.

Besides Lalu Prasad Yadav, the supplementary chargesheet also names Lallan Chaudhary, Hazari Rai, Dharmender Kumar, Akhileshwar Singh, Ravinder Kumar, Late Lal Babu Rai, Sonmatia Devi, Late Kishun Dev Rai, and Sanjay Rai.

The ED had earlier charge-sheeted Rabri Devi, Misa Bharti, Hema Yadav and other members of the Yadav family, though without arrest. They were granted regular bail by the court on February 28, 2024.

The ED’s probe has implicated two companies: A K Infosystem Pvt. Ltd. and A B Exports Pvt. Ltd, allegedly used as vehicles for laundering proceeds of crime. The central agency submitted that AK Infosystem, set up in 2006–07 by accused Amit Katyal, was later transferred to Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav in 2014 for a token amount of Rs 1 lakh. ED alleges that the firm was used for acquiring valuable land parcels in Patna and elsewhere.

Similarly, A B Exports, incorporated in 1996 and shown as an export firm, received Rs 5 crore through layered transactions involving shell companies, which was used to purchase a luxury bungalow in New Friends Colony, Delhi. Though shown as company property, the premises were being used as a residence by Tejashwi Yadav, ED told the court. The agency claimed that this property, officially valued at Rs 4 lakh, has a current market value of over Rs 150 crore.

In its ongoing probe, the ED stated that searches conducted in March 2025 across 24 locations in Delhi-NCR, Patna, Mumbai, and Ranchi led to the recovery of Rs 1 crore in cash, 540 grams of gold bullion, over 1.5 kg of gold jewellery, USD 1900, and multiple incriminating documents including property deeds and sale agreements.

The agency claims that the proceeds of crime in the case have been tentatively quantified at over Rs 600 crore, comprising Rs 350 crore in immovable properties and Rs 250 crore in benami transactions.

The ED further alleged that members of the Yadav family, including Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav, and Misa Bharti, received land parcels from poor applicants seeking railway jobs, which were later sold for massive profits. In one instance, four land parcels acquired for Rs 7.5 lakh were sold to former RJD MLA Syed Abu Dojana for Rs 3.5 crore, and the proceeds were routed to Tejashwi Yadav’s bank account.

The ED has contended that recruitment in various railway zones during Lalu Prasad Yadav’s tenure as Railways Minister was manipulated to disproportionately favour candidates from his constituencies in Bihar.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court recently refused to quash ED proceedings against Amit Katyal, a key accused and alleged aide of Lalu Prasad Yadav, further strengthening the agency’s case.

In a related news, on July 3, 2023, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed a chargesheet against Lalu Prasad Yadav, who remained the national president of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), along with his wife and former Bihar Chief Minister, Rabri Devi, and their son, the State’s Deputy Chief Minister, Tejashwi Yadav, in connection with the alleged scam.

This chargesheet marked the second one filed by the CBI in the case. Apart from the three members of the Yadav family, the federal agency also named 14 individuals and entities as accused in the chargesheet. The accused were charged under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

Case Title: CBI v. Lalu Prasad Yadav & Ors.

[Inputs: ANI]