Land-for-Jobs Scam: Court Slams Delay Tactics, Sets Aug 25 Argument Deadline

Special Judge Vishal Gogne of Rouse Avenue Court was hearing arguments on charge in the CBI case relating to alleged appointments in Group-D posts in the West Central Railway between 2004 and 2009 in exchange for land transfers to Lalu Prasad’s family or associates. Of the 103 accused, four have died.

At the outset, arguments were concluded for A-41, A-43 and A-48. The court deferred arguments for A-44, A-45 and A-47 to August 20 due to the bereavement of their counsel.

However, Accused No. 20 (a school principal) sought adjournment citing a pending petition before the Delhi High Court against the trial court’s August 8 order, which had rejected his plea to treat a letter to the investigating officer as a confessional statement and to remove a document from the chargesheet.

The CBI opposed the move, calling it a delaying tactic.

The Court found the plea a continuation of “intransigent” conduct aimed at controlling the flow of composite arguments. He said the application “laid bare the conscious effort to create an off-ramp for the proceedings by raising selective issues.”

When asked, A-20 admitted being aware of and instructing his counsel’s stance. The Court closed his oral submissions as nil but, “in the interest of fairness,” allowed him one week to file written submissions.

"Since it is now 01:30 p.m. and the entire morning session has been consumed in the above proceedings, the matter shall be taken up for arguments on behalf of other accused in the afternoon session today," the Judge observed in the order.

In the afternoon session, arguments were completed for A-16, A-18 and A-19, while hearings for A-25, A-27 and A-57 were set for August 22. An application under Section 4(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act by A-11 to A-15, A-17, A-23, A-24 and A-39 will be heard alongside their arguments on August 13.

Since June 2, 2025, arguments have concluded for 74 of the 99 surviving accused. The Court directed the remaining 25 accused, represented by 5–6 counsels, to finish by August 25.

"The court would observe that arguments have thus far been advanced and concluded on behalf of 74 accused persons in the day to day hearing on charge since 02.06.2025 and till date. With only 25 accused persons, represented in clusters by 5-6 counsels remaining to argue on the aspect of charge, the said 5-6 counsels are directed to conclude their arguments within the time frame or dates indicated in previous order sheets so as to enable the conclusion of arguments on behalf of all accused by 25.08.2025. List for further arguments on charge on 12.08.2025," the Court ordered.

In a related news, on July 18, the Apex Court had refused a plea by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav against an order refusing to stay the trial court's proceedings against him in relation to the land for jobs scam. The Bench had said that it would not interfere for such a small matter and let the High Court decide the main issue of quashing the chargesheet.

The Delhi High Court had in May dismissed a plea filed by the former Union Railway Minister seeking quashing of the FIR, chargesheets and the cognisance taken by the trial court in connection with the land-for-job scam being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

In 2023 a Delhi court had granted bail to Tejashwi Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi in relation to a fresh CBI chargesheet in alleged land-for-job scam case. Special Judge Geetanjali Goel of the Rouse Avenue Court had granted relief to the accused persons after they appeared before the court in pursuance of summons issued against them.

In July 2023, CBI had filed a chargesheet against Lalu, his wife and their son in connection with the alleged scam. It was the second chargesheet filed by CBI in the case. Besides the three members of the Yadav family, the federal agency had also named 14 individuals and entities in the chargesheet.

The accused have been charged under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The CBI’s case is that Lalu Prasad Yadav, as Railways Minister from 2004 to 2009, received financial benefits in form of transfer of land property in the names of his family members in exchange for the appointment of substitutes in Group "D" posts in various Railway zones such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Jabalpur, and Hajipur.

CBI alleged that “in lieu thereof, the substitutes, who were residents of Patna themselves or through their family members sold and gifted their land situated at Patna in favor of the family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav and a private company controlled by family members, which was also involved in the transfer of such immovable properties in the name of family members.”

CBI also alleged that no advertisement or public notice was issued for the appointment of Substitutes in Zonal Railways, yet substitutes from Patna were appointed as substitutes in different Zonal Railways and that undue haste was shown in processing candidates' applications and their appointments as substitutes were approved. Furthermore, the agency alleged that the due procedure and guidelines/instructions issued by the Railway Authority for the appointment of Substitutes in Railways were not followed and later on, their services had also been regularized.